A Reply to a  Mormon

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Dear Elder Murdock;

 

Thank  you for taking the time to write to me concerning issues we raised whilst I was holidaying in Sydney.

 

 Your claims concerning Dee Jay Nelson were quite new to me and at first I thought it to be  somewhat suspect. My information had come from Jerald and Sandra Tanner’s massive  587 page MORMONISM, SHADOW OR REALITY. It is my guess you are familiar with the ministry of these anti- Mormon  folk. But it was the 1972 edition. I decided to check out your claims in a recent ( 1987) edition of the same volume. And lo! and behold, they admit that the credentials of Dee Jay Nelson came from  “a diploma mill of the worst kind.” ( p. 309)

But having said that , the Tanners  have sought the testimony of qualified Egyptologists...Prof. R. Parker of Brown University and Prof. K. Baer and J.A. Wilson of the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.( p. 310)     Anyway...even though D.J. Nelson may be discredited ...and he is ! ... yet reputable Egyptologists still claim the translation  made by Joseph Smith is fraudulent.  I hope you can take time to go into this more carefully.

 

However, I am not sure that Brigham Young used the word “father” in the sense that

you imply. Anyone reading his statement would gain the meaning that Adam was literally the father of Jesus...   “he was not begotten by the Holy Ghost”.. Brigham Young adds. But I know that  Mormonism  do not teach such these days...so we will let it slide.

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As for the 34 “Challenges of the Book of Mormon” you sent.... it would take hours to answer. But I believe it could be done.

 

No. 1...so what? There are numerous bright young people that age who could write a book. Alexander Pope published his famous ‘Essay on Criticism’ at the age of 23. ( 1711) Sheridan wrote ‘The Rivals’ at the same age. Keats was 23 when he wrote ‘Endymion’. Etc...

 

No.2 ...all this depends on whether Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon or plagiarised it from some one else’s writings. It seems evident that he may not have had the education to do so. The same goes for No. 3.& 4 & 5  Someone else could have researched the background of early America and written a fictitious novel....

Whether it was Solomon Spaulding ( who did write something similar ) or Sydney Rigdon ...or another ...I do not know. But there are logical explanations for not accepting it as the work of Joseph Smith...or having its origin on the golden plates.

 

No. 6.   Writers of fiction make up stories about unknown groups of people all the time. Think of Madame Blavatsky’s claims concerning the Lemurians... ( if you have ever heard of her. She founded the Theosophical Society.) And just as there is no proof the Lemurians ever existed...there is no proof the Jaredites or  Nephites ever did either.

 

No. 7   Many  fiction writers make up stories of ancient customs.  I could write a story about some mythical  Binkerites ( or other “-ites” !  4 Nephi 1:17 ) and say they practiced eating raw eggs  every night. But that doesn’t make it true.

 

No. 8 Yes...and I could say the Binkerites worshipped Jesus. But that doesn’t make it true, either.

 

No. 9  Just because Joseph Smith says it was written in 80 days doesn’t mean it was. He may have already had it written  ...or copied it ...months previous. We only have his word for it. Besides once he said it was Nephi who appeared to him ( Millennial Star History of Joseph Smith. P.53 pub. 1842) ( Times and Seasons 1842. History of Joseph Smith. P.753) (Pearl of Great Price...ist. edition 1851 p.41) etc..... now  the books say it was Moroni ! In his own handwriting is his testimony where “The Lord ...who was crucified”  appeared to him in the 16th year of his age. ( Modern Microfilm Co. 1965 ) ...but the testimony in the Pearl of Great Price has two personages appearing to him when he was 14-15.  He changes his story every now and again...

 

No. 10 is an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the non-Mormon. Of course there have been changes made to the Book of Mormon since the first edition. I have a copy of the first edition before me.

For example...Was it King Benjamin ( as the 1st edition has ) or King Mosiah ( as today’s version puts it ) that had the gift from God ? ( Book of Mosiah Ch.9) Was it a “white “people

 ( as the 1st. edition says) or a “pure” people as today’s edition puts it...( 2 Nephi 30:6) Come on now...at least lets be honest. There are many, many alterations between the 1st. edition and today’s. Get a friend to read any page at random from the 1st. edition whist you follow through the same passage in today’s edition.

Yes...I know what you are going to say.... “look at the alterations in the Bible.”  But we do not claim the Bible was miraculously translated into English  like you claim for the Book of Mormon. Do we ...

And whilst we are on 2 Nephi 30:6 ; it is obvious that in the old days “white” meant “white- skinned.” Such was Mormon policy regarding the priesthood until more recent times.

 

No. 11. All this depends upon the word of Joseph Smith. And Martin Cowdery.

 

No. 12  So what . Fiction writers do it all the time.  Read Ron Hubbard’s rubbish ( the founder of Scientology.)  He churned out science fiction stories and made up words and peoples and places out of his own head. And speaking of Shakespeare ... it’s interesting that  Mormon quoted his phrase “the bourne from whence no traveller returns” about 1200 years before Shakespeare wrote it

 More damning is the fact that the Book of Mormon quotes the King James Version of the Bible. ‘Ah !’ , you say, ‘the same Holy Spirit inspired both..’ .

  “Ah! No!,’’  I say. “For the book of Mormon even quotes the erroneous translations in the King James Version!.  For example..3 Nephi 13:6 ends with the word “openly”. It is in the KJV.  But it is not in the Greek manuscripts. . Nor is it true. God does not always reward us openly.”

No. 13. Are you serious ? Just because I say my story of the Binkerites is true just doesn’t make it so !! And the same goes for Madame Blavatsky and her Lemurians and Ron Hubbard and his Thetans...

 

No. 14. Ha!! You probably thought I wouldn’t look the references up. Read Isaiah 29: 2-4 and you’ll never use it as proof of the Book of Mormon again! It likens the voice that speaks “out of the ground”( which you think means the Book of Mormon)  to “one that hath a familiar spirit !” And “familiar spirits” are condemned throughout the Scriptures as  being connected with the occult. Maybe that “angel of light” that Joseph saw.......( 2 Corinthians 11:15)  Mmmmm. ?

 

And Ezekiel 37:18-21... Honestly !!  It is simply another of Ezekiel’s acted sermons to foretell the reunion of the House of Israel & the House of Judah after the Babylonian exile...with a further look to the Messianic Age. One can see   nothing there about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon...unless one was brainwashed into seeing it there since childhood.

 

No. 15... which  you have not accomplished. Even the Bible translators have 1000’s of languages yet to conquer.

 

No. 16  I could say that in my exciting history of the Binkerites ... but that would prove nothing.

 

No. 17 . A subjective feeling...a psychological reaction  ...based on child-hood training or emotional upheaval...proves nothing. There are millions of Seventh Day Adventists who would say the same about their prophetess, Mrs. White. And Jehovah’s Witnesses by the bucket-full would die for their faith. But that doesn’t make it right. What is the touchstone as to whether a thing is right or not...? Does it square with the teaching of  The Bible !!

In the Bible we have the inspired Apostolic testimony...”the faith once ( and for all) delivered to the saints”( Jude vs. 3) And as I see it...the teachings of Mormonism ( 3 Heaven’s; 3 Hells; sacred underwear;   Baptism  for the dead;   Kolob ;  Extra Scriptures that contradict each other;   no final revelation ( what is true today may be altered tomorrow ) ; blood atonement by the sinners own blood in certain instances ; polygamy ( though temporarily suspended) ..and so it goes… are contrary to Scripture.

 

No. 18. Jehovah’s Witnesses have laid down their lives for their faith...refusing life-saving blood transfusions. But that doesn’t make their teaching correct because it does not square with what the Bible says.

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Now I don’t know that I need to go on through the whole 34. I wonder if you have even read this far. But my one finger ( used for typing !) is aching...and there are other matters  to which I must attend.

Oh...as for those “three, honest, accredited witnesses...”( No. 27-28 ) you know of course that they  all three left (  though perhaps only  temporarily ? ) the Mormon Church. Which they would  hardly have done had they handled the golden plates. Besides which they only saw those plates  in a vision.( despite No. 28.) ( “an angel stood before us...”)  ( Testimony of Joseph Smith.)

But I must stop. Again, I appreciate the fact that you took time to write.

 

Yours Sincerely;

Donald Prout

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