Differences-2

[Merlin]

Aqualung already answered this, but I'm just going to go ahead and respond to your next question before you ask it, if that's okay.

Merlin: Reformed Eqyptian? What the ___ is that?

Kathryn: The Book of Mormon itself provides the answer to that question. Mormon 9:32-34 states, "And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof."

So, in essence, the oral language was Hebrew, but the written language was a modified form of the Egyptian language. It was used primarily to conserve space, as time frame covered was roughly 1000 years.

It is quite complicated for a newcomer to the subject. So a very brief summary of what I have learned would be:-

1. Joseph Smith found some plates containing Egyptian hieroglyphics
2. He showed them to a few people
3. He then spent the next three months translating them
4. the plates then disappeared
5. From this information he wrote the book of Mormon

Have I followed it correctly?

 

[jonny]

It is quite complicated for a newcomer to the subject. So a very brief summary of what I have learned would be:-

1. Joseph Smith found some plates containing Egyptian hieroglyphics
2. He showed them to a few people
3. He then spent the next three months translating them
4. the plates then disappeared
5. From this information he wrote the book of Mormon

Have I followed it correctly?

Pretty close. I would replace the word "found" with "given" (he didn't stumble across them, rather he was shown where they were by an Angel). This same Angel returned and Joseph Smith delivered the plates to him when the translation was complete. Also, you can get rid of number 5 because the book was done when the translation was done.

You can read the story in his own words here: http://scriptures.lds.org/bm/jsphsmth.

 

[Merlin]

Pretty close. I would replace the word "found" with "given" (he didn't stumble across them, rather he was shown where they were by an Angel). This same Angel returned and Joseph Smith delivered the plates to him when the translation was complete. Also, you can get rid of number 5 because the book was done when the translation was done.

You can read the story in his own words here: http://scriptures.lds.org/bm/jsphsmth.

Ah, I see. What you are saying is the plates contain the whole of the book of Mormon.

Having read it, there must have been an awful lot of plates. Another puzzle is where would you find somebody to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics? That must have been a tough ask in the early 19th century in America.

Why Egyptian? Was that ever explained? There are those who believe that the whole of the basis of the Jewish religion (from which we all sprang) was born during the Pharaoh Akhenaten period (Amenhotep lll - about 1400 BC). This would fit in with your Egyptian texts.

 

[Aqualung]

Ah, I see. What you are saying is the plates contain the whole of the book of Mormon.

Actually, it contained more than the book of mormon. Some people stole about 116 pages of his translation and then made some alterations. This way, they could say, when JS retranslated them, "Look! the translations are different!" So he didn't retranslate them.

Having read it, there must have been an awful lot of plates. Another puzzle is where would you find somebody to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics? That must have been a tough ask in the early 19th century in America.

He translated them himself through the power of God, not through any sort 19th century intelligence of egyptian.

Why Egyptian? Was that ever explained? There are those who believe that the whole of the basis of the Jewish religion (from which we all sprang) was born during the Pharaoh Akhenaten period (Amenhotep lll - about 1400 BC). This would fit in with your Egyptian texts.

Yep. Because the jews came out of egypt, and they got taught the egyptian way of writing. But it was reformed egyptian, I think because over the years it got corrupted.

 

[Merlin]

Actually, it contained more than the book of mormon. Some people stole about 116 pages of his translation and then made some alterations. This way, they could say, when JS retranslated them, "Look! the translations are different!" So he didn't retranslate them.

He translated them himself through the power of God, not through any sort 19th century intelligence of egyptian.

Yep. Because the jews came out of egypt, and they got taught the egyptian way of writing. But it was reformed egyptian, I think because over the years it got corrupted.

This is really off the subject, but one of the things that almost certainly did not happen as quoted in the Bible is the Exodus.

 

[Aqualung]

This is really off the subject, but one of the things that almost certainly did not happen as quoted in the Bible is the Exodus.

That is rather off topic. :biglaugh:

 

[Merlin]

That is rather off topic. :biglaugh:

I agree, maybe I will start a new thread on this subject.

 

[Katzpur]

"Merlin: Reformed Eqyptian? What the ___ is that? " I am really sad that you think I would use such language. Although I do make occasional accidental mistakes, I try to respect everybody's beliefs

Merlin, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to imply that you did, and I can see why you did. I guess I've just heard the question so many times that I wasn't thinking when I typed what I did. You have always been 100% respectful of my beliefs, and I apolgize for my tactlessness.