Excerpt from a Mormon Discussions podcast episode with LDS Historian Richard L. Bushman: 1 “I think right now the Book of Mormon is a puzzle for us, even people who believe it hardily in every detail, it’s a puzzle. To begin with we have the puzzle of translation: translating the book without the plates even … Read more
2 Maccabees 1, Apocrypha, King James Bible: 1 34 Then the king, inclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter. 35 And the king took many gifts, and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify. 36 And Neemias called this thing Naphthar, which is as much as to say, a … Read more
The Book of Judith, Apocrypha, King James Bible: 1 Chapter 8 26 Remember what things he did to Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, when he kept the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother. Chapter 13 2 And Judith was left alone in the tent, and … Read more
Ether 8:8-12, the Book of Mormon: 1 8 Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father. 9 Now the daughter of Jared was exceedingly fair. And it came to pass that she did talk … Read more
King James Bible passages in the Book of Mormon: 1 Note: Isaiah chapters 40+2, Malachi, and the verses from the New Testament were written after Lehi left Jerusalem in the Book of Mormon narrative. When entire verses are verbatim or near verbatim copies (as is often the case), only the references to the corresponding scriptures are … Read more
Excerpt from ‘An Address To All Believers In Christ’, 1887, by David Whitmer: 1 “After the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished, early in the spring of 1830, before April 6th, Joseph gave the stone to Oliver Cowdery and told me as well as the rest that he was through with it, and … Read more
Excerpt from the article ‘Prophecies in the Bible about Joseph Smith’, published in the Ensign, January 1989: 1 Critics might argue that the Joseph Smith Translation contains references to Joseph Smith because he himself translated it. From the Joseph Smith Inspired translation of the bible. Italicized words were added to the King James Version … Read more
Address by J. Reuben Clark, reprinted in the August, 1946 LDS Improvement Era, ‘Plain Talk to Girls’: 1 Address given to the Executives of the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, in June Conference, Saturday afternoon, June 8, 1946, in Barratt Hall When I was in Mexico in the Embassy, there were with me Sister Clark … Read more
Address by J. Reuben Clark, reprinted in the August, 1946 LDS Improvement Era, ‘Plain Talk to Girls’: 1 Address given to the Executives of the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, in June Conference, Saturday afternoon, June 8, 1946, in Barratt Hall When I was in Mexico in the Embassy, there were with me Sister Clark … Read more
Excerpt from ‘History of Joseph Smith by his mother’, Lucy Mack Smith, Pub. 1853. Pg. 58, 59: 1 In 1811, we moved from Royalton Vermont, to the town of Lebanon New Hampshire. Soon after arriving here, my husband [Joseph Smith Sr.] received another very singular vision, which I will relate: “I thought,” said he, “I … Read more
LDS General Conference, April 2018 – https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP15GC&lang=eng Mormon 8: 37-39, The Book of Mormon: 1 37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. 38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye … Read more
Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol. 5:112-117, ‘Organic Evolution and the Age of Man’: Question: “Since reading your book, Man: His Origin, and Destiny, I have been troubled by your difference in view of organic evolution and the age of man and the teachings of some of our most outstanding scientists who maintain … Read more
Affidavit of Isaac Hale, father-in-law of Joseph Smith, Jr., given at Harmony Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania on 20 March 1834: 1 I first became acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr. in November 1825. He was at that time in the employ of a set of men who were called “money-diggers;” and his occupation was that of … Read more
From the Salt lake Tribune via AP:1 In this photo taken April 22, 1980, Mark W. Hofmann, left, and LDS Church leaders N. Eldon Tanner, Spencer W. Kimball, Marion G. Romney, Boyd K. Packer and Gordon B. Hinckley examine the Anthon transcript in Salt Lake City. Back in October 1985, when Hofmann killed two people … Read more
Helaman 6:22, the Book of Mormon: 1 “22 And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his … Read more
Excerpt from the LDS Gospel Topic Essay, ‘Book of Mormon and DNA Studies’: 1 “One reason it is difficult to use DNA evidence to draw definite conclusions about Book of Mormon peoples is that nothing is known about the DNA that Lehi, Sariah, Ishmael, and others brought to the Americas. “ 1 Nephi 5:14, the … Read more
Excerpt from the LDS Gospel Topic Essays, ‘Book of Mormon and DNA Studies’: 1 “The evidence assembled to date suggests that the majority of Native Americans carry largely Asian DNA. Scientists theorize that in an era that predated Book of Mormon accounts, a relatively small group of people migrated from northeast Asia to the Americas … Read more
From the Times and Seasons, 4:194 (1843): 1 Sir:-Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober-thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray … Read more
List of people in the Book of Mormon: 1 Males Aaron (descendant of Heth) Aaron (son of Mosiah) Aaron (Lamanite king) Abinadi Abinadom Aha Ahah Akish Alma (the Prophet Alma (the Younger) Amaleki (record keeper) Amaleki (seeker of Zeniff’s people) Amalickiah Amaron Aminadab Amgid Aminadi Amlici Ammah Ammaron Ammon (expedition leader) Ammon (son of Mosiah) … Read more
Excerpt from the LDS Gospel Topic Essay, Book of Mormon and DNA Studies: 1 The Book of Mormon provides little direct information about cultural contact between the peoples it describes and others who may have lived nearby. Consequently, most early Latter-day Saints assumed that Near Easterners or West Asians like Jared, Lehi, Mulek, and their … Read more
Mormon 9:22–24, the Book of Mormon: 1 22 For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; 23 And he that believeth … Read more
Excerpt from Alexander Campbells ‘Delusions an analysis of the Book of Mormon‘, Pub. 1832: 1 “This prophet Smith, through his stone spectacles, wrote on the plates of Nephi, in his book of Mormon, every error and almost every truth discussed in N. York for the last ten years. He decides all the great controversies — … Read more
Jacob 4:1, the Book of Mormon: 1 1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon … Read more
Excerpts from BYU Journal of Book of Mormon studies, ‘A New Artistic Rendering of Izapa Stela 5: A Step toward Improved Interpretation’, by BYU Mesoamerican archaeologist John E. Clark (August 1 1999): 1 “In the 48 years since Jakeman first concluded that Stela 5 represents Lehi’s dream of the tree of life, major advancements have … Read more
Excerpt from ‘Children of Promise’, By Apostle Mark E. Petersen, Pg. 46: 1 “If there had been large numbers of other peoples here when the Jaredites came, or when Lehi arrived, certainly the Book of Mormon would have said so. The land was reserved for the Lord’s purposes and for His peoples, and the Book … Read more
Excerpts from a 1954 Address by Apostle Mark E. Petersen, ‘Race Problems As They Affect The Church’: 1 “It is a good thing to understand exactly what the Negro has in mind on this subject, I’ll be talking about other races besides Negroes, of course, but it is the Negro question which pinpoints it, so … Read more
Excerpts from a 1954 Address by Apostle Mark E. Petersen, ‘Race Problems As They Affect The Church’: 1 “It is a good thing to understand exactly what the Negro has in mind on this subject, I’ll be talking about other races besides Negroes, of course, but it is the Negro question which pinpoints it, so … Read more