But they do not recognize it as a mormon artifact nor a hebrew artifact at all. And there are ethical concerns raised over the 'finder' of the artifact. There are two other claims to origin - so mormonism's isn't exclusive. Also, no other artifacts that could be linked to mormonism were found - where are the many cities, residue of millions and millions of people with steel, chariots, etc. (crickets)
The sites I linked were not Mormon in origin, they were scholars and archaeologists
And none have written about this earthshaking find in a peer reviewed journal, nor have gained the confidence of the National Geo Society and Smithsonian - who in the 'face' of your underwhelming evidence still hold to their statements.
Actually, they dated some artifacts they dug up, but what ever, it's been known
I read the material on those sites, there were no other artifacts found with the decalogue stone. The only source of dating was a rough estimate with no empirical testing to support it.
Some other complicated conspiracy theory to explain away the existence of this stone.
When the archaeological community find it authentic, then we can talk. This stone is in isolation - no structures, buildings or evidence of civilization around it. The questionable similarity to another stone in Israel has that stone associated with buildings and structures. Once again, in a desert climate the remnants of the bom city this stone should have been associated with should have been readily found - especially if less than 3000 years old. Absence of ANY associated archaeological findings further indicates that the stone is a hoax.
Was there enough evidence in Iraq of weapons of mass destruction? LOL
We are talking CITIES with lots of RUINS and BROKEN STUFF that should be associated with bom cities. Iraq has the ruins of the Babylonian empire, 5000+ years old - and where it is said to be according to the bible. So I ask you again - where are these bom cities that held millions and millions and a culture that spread from sea to sea? (crickets)
It does not matter what i dig up (pun intended) you will have alternate explanations and say it's not enough.
It shouldn't be hard, bom claims an extensive civilization existed. Biblically related artifacts far older than the bom period are found daily in the Israel and the middle east. Yet your only proof is an isolated rock with hebrew AND greek, an odd piece of wood that has either cherokee or masonic symbols and you try to say this is the sum total of mormon archeology in the new world! Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptian, Jewish, Philistia, Edom, Jebusites, etc, you name are where they are associated with the Bible. With all our construction and excavations in America, we've never uncovered the foundations of any bom temple or any city. Why? because they never existed to begin with.
IMHO you are not open to the truth, but there are lurkers, you make a good foil for all your posturing, you are not beating me intellectually, now you may call me fluffy...
I am very open to the truth. I can show you the foundation stones Jesus stood on before Pilate. Can you show me foundation stones of any of the cities here in America Jesus allegedly visited after His resurrection? That is a comparison of tangible truth.
As far as I know, you never asked, we have a visitors center there and a pageant every year, you should go, hey, it's free.
Then please tell me why your friends at FARMS have spent soooo much time and energy pushing a 'limited geography' theory that isolates the events of the bom into a small area in central america? Of course the GA has rebuked their efforts, but they keep plodding along, even claiming Cumorah is really in Central America, and even a more recent one I heard places another Cumorah in Malaysia. These are you scholars - why haven't they found proof in America as the mormon prophets have said was the land?
I have read the Book of Mormon, I have asked God for a witness.........Once you have a testimony, all the arguments on FR are moot.
God has witnessed to me through the Bible that the bom is a fraud and is part of the teachings from false prophets that the Bible warns about. God has witnessed to me that the Jesus of the Bible is not the Jesus of mormonism and that the Jesus of the Bible is the True Jesus, just as the God of the Bible is the true God, and not the polytheistic churnings of mormonism.
Is it proper to pray whether or not it is permissable to commit murder? adultery? theft? Of course not, because the Bible already speaks out against such sins. Exactly. God has already given us His revealed will regarding such matters, and therefore no amount of prayer is going to change that fact. No matter how sincere a person may believe otherwise, anyone who claims God gave him permission to murder, steal, or commit adultery only proves to the one familiar with the Bible that this man did not hear from God.
Why should it be any different when it comes to the Book of Mormon? What difference is it to pray concerning the Book of Mormon if the Bible has already spoken out against it? Do you think the all-knowing God of the Bible is so inept and forgetful that He would approve a book and religion which is diametrically opposed to what He has already revealed? Never! In violating the rules of sacred writ, The bom, and mormonism as a whole, meets the criteria of being 'another gospel.' No amount of semantics or prayer will change the matter.
Another excellent post.
You are very thorough - and extremely patient.