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.
Moroni's visit/Nephi or Moroni
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Criticism
The Church teaches that Moroni was the heavenly messenger which appeared to Joseph Smith and directed him to the gold plates. Yet, some Church sources give the identity of this messenger as Nephi. Critics claim that this shows that Joseph was 'making it up as he went along.'
Source(s) of the Criticism
Response
Critics cite a variety of sources that repeat the Nephi claim. The key point to understand is that there is really only one source that claims Nephi; the other sources which mention Nephi are merely citing this one source, thus perpetuating the error.
Sources which mention Nephi
====Sources which mention Moroni
Conclusion
This is thus not an example of Joseph changing his story, but a detail being improperly recorded by someone other than Joseph, and then reprinted uncritically. Clear contemporary evidence from Joseph—and his enemies, who would have seized on any inconsistency had they known of it—shows that Moroni was the named messenger.
It is perhaps not surprising that Joseph's associates made the error, since Joseph also had contact with Nephi during the restoration, as John Taylor reported:
A summary of the argument against the criticism.
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
- Links to related articles in the wiki
FAIR web site
- FAIR Topical Guide:
External links
- Eldon Watson and D. Charles Pyle Nephi/Moroni
Printed material
- Printed resources whose text is not available online