Who has read the Book of Mormon?

[Tony Kara]

Not quite what I've said since I don't believe there are any contradictions between the Book of Mormon and Bible.

As already explained, if the Book of Mormon is true so is everything that follows.

What of all the contradictions between the D&C, the PoGP, and the Bible?

(And YES, there.are.contradictions between the Bible and the BoM, .weather or not you choose to "believe" that they exist, much in the same way that .gravity exists weather or.not I choose to believe in it)

 

[he-man]

Im saying Joseph Smith was a diviner.
Concerning the Urim and Thummim, God allowed them to do other things in order to teach them lessons.

Leviticus 19:30-31 (KJV) 30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Better check again because Mr. Smith, though an unlearned man, testifies that he was commanded to translate them, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, and that the Book of Mormon is that translation .

Mr. Smith did not understand the Hebrew for Urim, lights; the oracular brilliancy of the figures in the high-priest's breastplate and had he understood the Hebrew word that Thummim was one of the epithets of the objects in the high-priest's breastplate as an emblem of complete Truth :- he would have spoke the truth and admitted his unlearned Lies.

He further quotes as the evidence by which he received that translation "Now, Isaiah says to Israel, " Thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. Mr. Smith says that he obtained the writings of Joseph from "out of the ground."
Devine Authority or was Joseph Smith Sent by God? By Orson Pratt one of the twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Page 8

Yes, I did consider the Book of Mormon until I received this answer:
Familiar Spirit (Hebrew Word: ‏אוֹב‎ ʾôb) the conjurer, a necromancer, or sorcerer who professes to call up the dead by means of incantations, or by the Septuagint a ventriloquist.1 Sam 27:3, 7, 9; literally, a seeker of the dead, Deuteronomy 18:10, 11, 12 (KJV)

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Or more frequently, with the help of ʾôb, like the witch of Endor, pretended to evoke the dead and bring secrets from the invisable world; Ex 7:11, Ge xli:8

1 Samuel 28:7 (KJV)
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. Psalm 83:10 (ESV)
10 who were destroyed at Endor, who became dung for the ground

 

[Rescued One]

When I ask this question I don't mean just flip through a few pages nor do I mean get an overview on it from others. Who has actually read it with an unbiased and open heart? Anyone who has truly read it would know it is true....

I read it from cover to cover with an unbiased and open heart. It's an idiotic piece of fiction.

 

[he-man]

When I ask this question I don't mean just flip through a few pages nor do I mean get an overview on it from others. Who has actually read it with an unbiased and open heart? Anyone who has truly read it would know it is true.

The three witnesses, who so solemnly averred that they saw the angel and golden plates, later quarreled with Smith, and every one of them acknowledged that his testimony was false. It is furthermore considered proven, by all except professing Mormons, that the Mormon Bible is based almost entirely on the manuscript of a novel written by Solomon Spaulding, but never published.

He was fond of writing novels, but they were of such a poor quality that they were not published. In his time it was quite a favorite theory that the Indians were descendants of the Jews. Spaulding wrote a romance weaving this fiction in. In his plot the manuscript on which this story was based was supposed to be found in a cave. This manuscript was sent to a printing-office, but never printed.

William Rigdon, who afterwards became Smith's right-hand man, is known to have copied this manuscript. A comparison of the Book of Mormon with the original manuscript of this novel satisfies all, except professing Mormons, that the Mormon Bible is simply the old novel revised and corrected by Smith and Rigdon. The Bible Companion, J A Allen Page 427

 

[Albion]

When I ask this question I don't mean just flip through a few pages nor do I mean get an overview on it from others. Who has actually read it with an unbiased and open heart? Anyone who has truly read it would know it is true.

Years ago, I read it with an open mind, knowing nothing of the critics' theories about its origins, and I knew right away that it was not true.