What I can’t understand is how this Skousen guy can be legitimately called a “specialist in linguistics and the English language” yet completely IGNORE the blatant and easily proven plagiarism in the BOM? Where do his credentials come from? Who says he is a specialist? The same ones that credentialed the “professor” that supposedly verified the characters Smith wrote down were genuine? I feel badly for all the people caught up in this fraud. It must be incredibly hard to leave a religion you were raised in and which all your friends and family hold to. But God was able to deliver me from a false religion, nothing is impossible for Him.
Yes re: how difficult it can be for Mormons to leave their "identity," their family, their social community, etc.
Re: Skousen...
One other comment I might have is why it came to pass was three times written in Smiths 1832 diary, including when he was writing about his vision? (see An American Prophets Record, pp. 6, 7, 8).
Skousen has no doubt poured over this written record. In the link I provide in post #19, Skousen even knows how many times "it came to pass" was edited out of the 1837 revision of the Book of Mormon (47x).
Ya know, when...
(a) ...your job/career depends upon not ruffling waters...
(b) ...& the "respect" accorded you by your fellow gullibles...
(c) ... and everything else we've referenced...
...unfortunately too many have concluded, "Truth be damned."
And anathematized too many wind up goin'.
And it's all preventable.
The choice, Mormons, is yours...not easy...but as the Mormon hymn goes, Do What is Right [Let the Consequences Follow]
--MormonDude(If you were NOT such a HATEFUL bigot; you'd know that LEGITIMATE can mean a lot of things: especially to us MORMONs!)