Please Explain how Joseph Smith could have possibly authored the Book of Mormon.

[Starfish]

Here are the facts:

He had the equivalent of approximately a 4th grade education.
His family was very poor and lived in a small, rural community in the early 1800's, lacking many resources and exposure to the world.
He was age 22-23 when he translated the BoM. Age 24 when it was published.
He and his family had to work hard to exist. They were farmers. His time to write was very limited.
There are eyewitesses to the translation. His wife said that he only worked on it for a few months, approx. 3 months.
There are eyewitnesses (11) who testified of seeing the gold plates. Some later left the Church but never refuted what they saw.
There are eyewitnesses who worked as scribes while he translated, describing the process.

This is not a thread for listing "errors" in the book. That's not the point. Please explain to me how it is possible, in light of the facts, that he could make up such a book and pass it off as scripture, fooling millions, including scholars, for nearly 180 years?

 

[Runt]

Divine aid?

 

[*Paul*]

The same way Mohammed did? He too was apparently not well educated.

 

[Starfish]

Divine aid?

Divine aid to produce a "false" book? Why?

 

[Starfish]

The same way Mohammed did? He too was apparently not well educated.

How ?

 

[Runt]

Divine aid to produce a "false" book? Why?

I don't believe in God or the Book of Mormon, but I recognize the possibility that the former exists and the latter is true.

 

[Runt]

How ?

Scribes.

 

[Scott1]

The same way Mohammed did? He too was apparently not well educated.

Amen.... almost sounds like the same bio.

 

[Starfish]

I don't believe in God or the Book of Mormon, but I recognize the possibility that the former exists and the latter is true.

Thank you for being open-minded.

Scribes.

Scribes merely record the words of another. So scribes did make the tranlation possible, but not the creation or fabrication of the BoM.

 

[*Paul*]

How ?

In my opinion, a lying spirit. The bible does mention them.

 

[trinity2359]

I am always surprised when this is brought up as some miracle. Joseph claimed to have the angel Moroni visit him annually for four years before the gold plates were unearth. Lots of time to work up a storyline and if you have a good memory recite it to your scribe(s). By reading Doctrine and Convenants, mostly written by J. Smith, you can see he like to use long winded sentences to say what he means...kind of like the BoM.
As far as the eye-witness, sure they never recanted their 'testimony' of the plates, but many rejected the restored Church and its Prophet.
And even, Emma Smith decided to follow her son instead of Brigham Young after her husbands demise.
These, as well as a casual reading of the BoM would reveals its flaws.
Just because a man might be illerate doesn't make him unitelligent.
BTW - I have read the BoM having been a Mormon for 6 years as an adult convert.

 

[*Paul*]

Amen.... almost sounds like the same bio.

It works both ways too, that's why I can't accept this kind of evidence, there are channelers too who have written works well beyond their intellectual scope or time period even.

 

[Starfish]

In my opinion, a lying spirit. The bible does mention them.

Have you read even a part of the BoM? It is all about Christ. It is all about righteousness and Christ-like attributes. It supports the Bible. It teaches the importance of prayer, honoring parents, relying on God, teaching children, serving others, etc.

What "lying spirit" would want that?

 

[McBell]

Amen.... almost sounds like the same bio.

it is pretty much the same bio.
At least the way the OP presents it.

I have seen and heard many a Muslim go on and on about how stupid Mohammed was in an attempt to use it as proof that the Quran could not have come from Mohammed, but instead from some divine source.

Seems the OP is doing the same thing.

 

[Runt]

Scribes merely record the words of another. So scribes did make the tranlation possible, but not the creation or fabrication of the BoM.

Even if the Koran and Book of Mormon are both fabrications, and knowing that their authors were not well educated, It does not necessarily follow that Smith or Muhammad are unintelligent or uncreative... or incapable of obtaining an adequate education outside of a formal school setting. It would take an extraordinary and most certainly rare person to possess such qualities despite a distinct lack of formal education, but the texts which have been attributed to them are rather extraordinary, don't you think? As an atheist, it would not surprise me overly much that Smith and Muhammad both possessed keen minds that more than made up for their lack of formal education.

 

[Scott1]

It is all about Christ. It is all about righteousness and Christ-like attributes. It supports the Bible. It teaches the importance of prayer, honoring parents, relying on God, teaching children, serving others, etc.

What "lying spirit" would want that?

These all sound like things a person could say about the Koran.... not sure what "evidence" you hope to reveal by this thread.....

 

[McBell]

Have you read even a part of the BoM? It is all about Christ. It is all about righteousness and Christ-like attributes. It supports the Bible. It teaches the importance of prayer, honoring parents, relying on God, teaching children, serving others, etc.

What "lying spirit" would want that?

Any spirit that wants to cause problems.

Think about it...
How many people on this forum alone have accused the Mormons of worshiping a different Jesus than the "Biblical" Jesus?

 

[Starfish]

I am always surprised when this is brought up as some miracle. Joseph claimed to have the angel Moroni visit him annually for four years before the gold plates were unearth. Lots of time to work up a storyline and if you have a good memory recite it to your scribe(s). By reading Doctrine and Convenants, mostly written by J. Smith, you can see he like to use long winded sentences to say what he means...kind of like the BoM.

So you're saying he wrote it as a teenager?

As far as the eye-witness, sure they never recanted their 'testimony' of the plates, but many rejected the restored Church and its Prophet.
And even, Emma Smith decided to follow her son instead of Brigham Young after her husbands demise.

But we're not talking about the Church. We're talking about the BoM. None of them ever changed their testimony.

These, as well as a casual reading of the BoM would reveals its flaws.
Just because a man might be illerate doesn't make him unitelligent.
BTW - I have read the BoM having been a Mormon for 6 years as an adult convert.

Every "flaw" has been explained. But that is not the point of this thread.

Doing what you say would make him more than just intelligent--he would have to be genius. The challenge has been out there since the book was published. Try to duplicate the feat. No one has done it.

 

[*Paul*]

Have you read even a part of the BoM? It is all about Christ. It is all about righteousness and Christ-like attributes. It supports the Bible. It teaches the importance of prayer, honoring parents, relying on God, teaching children, serving others, etc.

What "lying spirit" would want that?

I have Starfish, I have read much of it and your other scriptures. The devil is happy for people to live good, clean, moral even religious lives so long as he is blinding their minds to the glorious gospel.

 

[McBell]

Even if the Koran and Book of Mormon are both fabrications, and knowing that their authors were not well educated, It does not necessarily follow that Smith or Muhammad are unintelligent or uncreative... or incapable of obtaining an adequate education outside of a formal school setting. It would take an extraordinary and most certainly rare person to possess such qualities despite a distinct lack of formal education, but the texts which have been attributed to them are rather extraordinary, don't you think? As an atheist, it would not surprise me overly much that Smith and Muhammad both possessed keen minds that more than made up for their lack of formal education.

Not to mention the assumption that the scribes did not 'up' the language.