FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Book of Mormon: Difference between revisions
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|subject=Textual changes | |subject=Textual changes | ||
|summary=The claim is often heard that there are more than 4000 changes to the Book of Mormon text. The majority of these are typographical. Few of the changes are significant. We examine the more noteworthy changes. | |summary=The claim is often heard that there are more than 4000 changes to the Book of Mormon text. The majority of these are typographical. Few of the changes are significant. We examine the more noteworthy changes. | ||
}} | }}<noinclude> | ||
<noinclude>{{SummaryItem2 | {{SummaryItem2 | ||
|link=/Textual changes/"white" changed to "pure" | |link=/Textual changes/"white" changed to "pure" | ||
|subject="white" changed to "pure" | |subject="white" changed to "pure" | ||
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|subject=Contains the fulness of the gospel | |subject=Contains the fulness of the gospel | ||
|summary=If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the gospel," then why are certain ordinances such as baptism for the dead and eternal marriage not mentioned? | |summary=If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the gospel," then why are certain ordinances such as baptism for the dead and eternal marriage not mentioned? | ||
}} | }}<noinclude> | ||
<noinclude>{{SummaryItem2 | {{SummaryItem2 | ||
|link=/Why is baptism for the dead not taught | |link=/Why is baptism for the dead not taught | ||
|subject=Baptism for the dead—why is it not taught in the Book of Mormon? | |subject=Baptism for the dead—why is it not taught in the Book of Mormon? | ||
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|subject=Evidences | |subject=Evidences | ||
|summary=Summary page for evidences supporting the Book of Mormon | |summary=Summary page for evidences supporting the Book of Mormon | ||
}} | }}<noinclude> | ||
<noinclude>{{SummaryItem2 | {{SummaryItem2 | ||
|link=/Evidences/Olive culture | |link=/Evidences/Olive culture | ||
|subject=Olive culture | |subject=Olive culture | ||
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|subject=Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon | |subject=Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon | ||
|summary=The Book of Mormon does indeed have authentic Semitic constructions in it, but LDS need to tread cautiously in establishing them. Each must be evaluated on its own merits. Hebraisms that could have been known to Joseph Smith may still be authentic, and may still enhance our appreciation of the text, but they are weak evidence for Book of Mormon antiquity. | |summary=The Book of Mormon does indeed have authentic Semitic constructions in it, but LDS need to tread cautiously in establishing them. Each must be evaluated on its own merits. Hebraisms that could have been known to Joseph Smith may still be authentic, and may still enhance our appreciation of the text, but they are weak evidence for Book of Mormon antiquity. | ||
}} | }}<noinclude> | ||
<noinclude>{{SummaryItem2 | {{SummaryItem2 | ||
|link=/Evidences/Hebraisms/Chiasmus | |link=/Evidences/Hebraisms/Chiasmus | ||
|subject=Chiasmus | |subject=Chiasmus | ||
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|link=/Hill Cumorah | |link=/Hill Cumorah | ||
|subject=Hill Cumorah | |subject=Hill Cumorah | ||
}} | }}<noinclude> | ||
<noinclude>{{SummaryItem2 | {{SummaryItem2 | ||
|link=/Hill Cumorah/Archaeology | |link=/Hill Cumorah/Archaeology | ||
|subject=Archaeology | |subject=Archaeology | ||
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|link=/Lamanites | |link=/Lamanites | ||
|subject=Lamanites | |subject=Lamanites | ||
}} | }}<noinclude> | ||
<noinclude>{{SummaryItem2 | {{SummaryItem2 | ||
|link=/Lamanites/Curse | |link=/Lamanites/Curse | ||
|subject=Curse | |subject=Curse | ||
|summary=Critics claim that the Church believed that Lamanites who accepted the Gospel would become light-skinned. "Mormon folklore" claims that Native Americans and Polynesians carry a curse based upon "misdeeds on the part of their ancestors." | |summary=Critics claim that the Church believed that Lamanites who accepted the Gospel would become light-skinned. "Mormon folklore" claims that Native Americans and Polynesians carry a curse based upon "misdeeds on the part of their ancestors." | ||
}}{{SummaryItem3 | }} | ||
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|link=/Lamanites/Curse/Red skin | |link=/Lamanites/Curse/Red skin | ||
|subject=Red skin curse | |subject=Red skin curse | ||
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|subject=Warfare in the Book of Mormon | |subject=Warfare in the Book of Mormon | ||
|summary=Some criticisms of Book of Mormon warfare are anachronistic; other elements of Book of Mormon warfare contain authentic ancient elements about which Joseph Smith could not have known. | |summary=Some criticisms of Book of Mormon warfare are anachronistic; other elements of Book of Mormon warfare contain authentic ancient elements about which Joseph Smith could not have known. | ||
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{{SummaryItem | {{SummaryItem | ||
|link=/Wordprint studies | |link=/Wordprint studies | ||
Revision as of 05:05, 7 February 2011
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General information: Book of Mormon & Bible: Criticisms: |
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Book of Mormon
Production of the Book of Mormon
Translation
Translation
Summary: What do we know about the method used to translate the Book of Mormon? Were the plates sometimes not in the room while Joseph was translating them? Critics claim that each sentence and word in the 1830 Book of Mormon "had supposedly come directly from God."Witnesses
Summary: The world was not left with Joseph Smith's testimony alone. The Book of Mormon provided multiple official and unofficial witnesses who corroborated aspects of Joseph's account.Critics have long tried to dismiss or destroy the witnesses' witness. This page links to subpages which discuss various attacks in detail.Urim and Thummin and seer stones
Summary: Joseph Smith used the Nephite Interpreters as well as his own seer stone (both of which were later referred to as "Urim and Thummin") to translate the Book of Mormon.Publication
Author and proprietor listed as Joseph Smith
Summary: Joseph Smith is listed as the "Author and Proprietor" of the first edition of the Book of Mormon. Critics use this to claim that Joseph wrote the book himself, despite that fact that the following page clearly states that he translated the book.Attempt to sell Book of Mormon copyright in Canada
Summary: David Whitmer claimed that Joseph Smith received a revelation and prophesied that Oliver Cowdery and Hiram Page should go to Canada where they would find a man willing to buy the copyright to the Book of Mormon. When they failed to sell the copyright, Whitmer states that Joseph admitted that the revelation had not come from God.Printing timeframe
Summary: "I've heard that the rate at which the first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed could only have occurred miraculously. Is there anything to this claim?"Secular authorship theories
B.H. Roberts and "Studies of the Book of Mormon
Summary: B.H. Roberts produced several critical examinations of the Book of Mormon. These were later published after his death under the title Studies of the Book of Mormon.B.H. Roberts' testimony
Summary: Critics claim that B.H. Roberts lost his testimony of the Book of Mormon as the result of his work on the material contained in Studies of the Book of Mormon.Plagiarism accusations
Summary: Joseph Smith is often accused of creating the Book of Mormon by plagiarizing various contemporary sources such as the Spalding Manuscript or Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews.Language used in the Book of Mormon
As a "familiar spirit"
Summary: Critics ask why, if the words "familiar spirit" in Is. 29:4 refer to the Book of Mormon (as used in 2_Ne. 26:16, why does "familiar spirit" always refer to occult practices such as channeling and necromancy everywhere else in the Old Testament?Revisions
Textual changes
Summary: The claim is often heard that there are more than 4000 changes to the Book of Mormon text. The majority of these are typographical. Few of the changes are significant. We examine the more noteworthy changes.- "white" changed to "pure"—
Brief Summary: Critics accuse the Church of attempting to hiding a racially offensive statement. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- "white" changed to "pure"—
Content of the Book of Mormon
Completeness
As the most correct book
Summary: Critics claim that since Joseph stated that it was "the most correct book," that the Book of Mormon should not have contained any errors. Yet, Mormon himself states in the preface that any mistakes contained therein are the mistakes of men.Contains the fulness of the gospel
Summary: If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the gospel," then why are certain ordinances such as baptism for the dead and eternal marriage not mentioned?- Baptism for the dead—why is it not taught in the Book of Mormon?—
Brief Summary: If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the Gospel," then why does it not mention baptism for the dead. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Book of Mormon condemns polygamy—
Brief Summary: Critics use the Book of Jacob to show that the Book of Mormon condemns the practice of polygamy, and then go on to claim that Joseph Smith ignored this restriction by introducing the doctrine of plural marriage. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- Baptism for the dead—why is it not taught in the Book of Mormon?—
Archaeology
Archaeology
Summary: Critics charge that what is known about ancient American archaeology is not consistent with the Book of Mormon account. Sectarian critics often add the claim that the Bible has been "proven" true by archaeology, unlike the Book of Mormon.Anachronisms
Anachronisms
Summary: Critics point to some items or concepts in the Book of Mormon which they claim are not consistent with what is known about ancient American geography, history, or anthropology. They claim that these "errors" prove that Joseph Smith was producing the Book of Mormon in the 19th century, and that the Book of Mormon is therefore not an ancient record.Deutero-Isaiah in the Book of Mormon?
Summary: he "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. This theory claims that there were three individual authors, whose works were later compiled together under the name of the first author Isaiah (referred to as "Proto Isaiah"). The critical issue raised is that the Brass Plates of Laban quote from sections of Isaiah that this theory ascribes to Deutero-Isaiah, so how could the Nephites have these writings if they weren't written until after they left Jerusalem?Doctrinal issues
Plain and precious doctrines
Summary: Critics claim that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than a "bad copy of the Bible"; that anyone could have churned out such pedestrian, warmed-over ideas by borrowing liberally from the Bible and his own personal experiences.Great and abominable church
Summary: What is the "great and abominable church" referred to in the Book of Mormon? Critics claim that Latter-day Saints believe that the scriptural terms "church of the devil," the "great and abominable church," and the "whore of all the earth" refer to a specific religion. Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches that "all mainstream Christians fall into the world system know as the devil's church (or Satan's kingdom)."Nephi's killing of Laban
Summary: How can Latter-day Saints point to Nephi's killing of Laban as an example of a positive example of a Book of Mormon character? Wasn't this cold-blooded murder? And doesn't this passage then justify the killing of "the wicked" by anyone who feels that God has told them to do so?Evidences and criticisms of the Book of Mormon
Evidences
Summary: Summary page for evidences supporting the Book of Mormon- Olive culture—
Brief Summary: Does the Book of Mormon's account of olive culture in Jacob 5 match what we know about this subject? The Book of Mormon provides a remarkably accurate portrait of olive horticulture. There are two points at which the allegory/parable deviates from the known principles of growing olives; in both cases, the allegory's characters draw the reader's attention to these deviations with some amazement. Thus, these 'mistakes' play a dramatic role in demonstrating the allegory/parable's meaning. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Book of Mormon geography in the Old World—
Brief Summary: A discussion of the Arabian, or Old World, geography of the Book of Mormon enjoys many advantages over discussion of New World matters. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story begins—in Old World Jerusalem. The details of Lehi's desert travels had been extracted from the text by the 1970s. It is important to note how early these models were developed; current-day critics sometimes charge that LDS scholars have "retrofitted" their models to accommodate chance discoveries like "Nahom," but this is false. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- Olive culture—
Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon
Summary: The Book of Mormon does indeed have authentic Semitic constructions in it, but LDS need to tread cautiously in establishing them. Each must be evaluated on its own merits. Hebraisms that could have been known to Joseph Smith may still be authentic, and may still enhance our appreciation of the text, but they are weak evidence for Book of Mormon antiquity.- Chiasmus—
Brief Summary: A literary structure known as "chiasmus" exists in the Book of Mormon. Critics claim that the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the Doctrine and Covenants or other 19th century writing. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Sami Hanna on the Book of Mormon—
Brief Summary: I have read a talk written by Elder Russell M. Nelson in which he discusses a friend of his who translated the Book of Mormon back into Arabic. What are the facts behind this story and the talk? (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- Chiasmus—
Historicity
DNA evidence
Summary: DNA samples taken from modern Native Americans do not match the DNA of modern inhabitants of the Middle East. Critics argue that this means the Book of Mormon's claim that Native Americans are descended from Lehi must be false, and therefore the Book of Mormon is not an ancient record as Joseph Smith claimed.Dead Sea Scrolls and their relationship to the Book of Mormon
Summary: Mistranslations of the King James version of Isaiah have been corrected using the Isaiah version found with the Dead Sea scrolls. Why is it that the quotes from Isaiah contained in the Book of Mormon have the same translation errors contained in the King James version instead of matching the original ancient text?Geography
Hill Cumorah
Lamanites
- Curse—
Brief Summary: Critics claim that the Church believed that Lamanites who accepted the Gospel would become light-skinned. "Mormon folklore" claims that Native Americans and Polynesians carry a curse based upon "misdeeds on the part of their ancestors." (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Red skin curse—
Brief Summary: One critic states that the Lamanites were "cursed" with a "red skin." (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- Red skin curse—
- Referenced in the Doctrine and Covenants—
Brief Summary: Since in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to American Indians in North America as "Lamanites" (e.g., DC 28:8-9,14, DC 30:6, DC 32:2, DC 54:8), does this cause problems for the Limited Geography Theory (LGT) or issues of Amerindian genetic data? (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Relationship to Amerindians—
Brief Summary: Are all Amerindians descendants of Lehi? Critics claim that Church leaders "seem reluctant or powerless to curtail" the belief among Mesoamerican and South American saints that they are descendents of the Lamanites. Critics say that Joseph Smith said that the angel Moroni told him that all American Indians were "literal descendants of Abraham," but that DNA has disproved this. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Statements—
Brief Summary: A collection of various statements from Church leaders about Amerindian origins/identity (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- Statements—
- Relationship to Polynesians—
Brief Summary: Critics claim that the Church has expanded the definition of "Lamanite" to Polynesians. Modern day prophets have repeatedly declared that Polynesians are Lamanites. The patriarchal blessings of Polynesians often state that they are of the tribe of Manasseh (through Lehi). (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Statements—
Brief Summary: A collection of various statements from Church leaders about Polynesian origins/identity (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- Statements—
- Curse—