Single Word Change in Book of Mormon Speaks Volumes

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | November 8, 2007 | Peggy Fletcher Stack

[Colofornian]

The LDS Church has changed a single word in its introduction to the Book of Mormon, a change observers say has serious implications for commonly held LDS beliefs about the ancestry of American Indians.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe founder Joseph Smith unearthed a set of gold plates from a hill in upperstate New York in 1827 and translated the ancient text into English. The account, known as The Book of Mormon, tells the story of two Israelite civilizations living in the New World. One derived from a single family who fled from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and eventually splintered into two groups, known as the Nephites and Lamanites.

The book's current introduction, added by the late LDS apostle, Bruce R. McConkie in 1981, includes this statement: "After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians."

The new version, seen first in Doubleday's revised edition, reads, "After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians."

LDS leaders instructed Doubleday to make the change, said senior editor Andrew Corbin, so it "would be in accordance with future editions the church is printing."

The change "takes into account details of Book of Mormon demography which are not known," LDS spokesman Mark Tuttle said Wednesday.

It also steps into the middle of a raging debate about the book's historical claims.

Many Mormons, including several church presidents, have taught that the Americas were largely inhabited by Book of Mormon peoples. In 1971, Church President Spencer W. Kimball said that Lehi, the family patriarch, was "the ancestor of all of the Indian and Mestizo tribes in North and South and Central America and in the islands of the sea."

After testing the DNA of more than 12,000 Indians, though, most researchers have concluded that the continent's early inhabitants came from Asia across the Bering Strait.

With this change, the LDS Church is "conceding that mainstream scientific theories about the colonization of the Americas have significant elements of truth in them," said Simon Southerton, a former Mormon and author of Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church.

"DNA has revealed very clearly how closely related American Indians are to their Siberian ancestors, " Southerton said in an e-mail from his home in Canberra, Australia. "The Lamanites are invisible, not principal ancestors."

LDS scholars, however, dispute the notion that DNA evidence eliminates the possibility of Lamanites. They call it "oversimplification" of the research.

On the church's official Web site, lds.org, it says, "Nothing in the Book of Mormon precludes migration into the Americas by peoples of Asiatic origin. The scientific issues relating to DNA, however, are numerous and complex."

Mormon researcher John M. Butler and DNA expert further argues that "careful examination and demographic analysis of the Book of Mormon record in terms of population growth and the number of people described implies that other groups were likely present in the promised land when Lehi's family arrived, and these groups may have genetically mixed with the Nephites, Lamanites, and other groups. Events related in the Book of Mormon likely took place in a limited region, leaving plenty of room for other Native American peoples to have existed."

In recent years, many LDS scholars have come to share Butler's belief in what is known as the "limited geography" theory. By this view, the Nephites and Lamanites restricted their activities to portions of Central America, which would explain their absence from the general American Indian genetics.

Kevin Barney, a Mormon lawyer and independent researcher in Chicago, welcomes the introduction's word change.

"I have always felt free to disavow the language of the [Book of Mormon's] introduction, footnotes and dictionary, which are not part of the canonical scripture," said Barney, on the board of FAIR, a Mormon apologist group. "These things can change as the scholarship progresses and our understanding enlarges. This suggests to me that someone on the church's scripture committee is paying attention to the discussion."

[DelphiUser]

I Said: From my understanding, the Catholics think you and I and everyone who is not Catholic are going to hell.

You Said: Allow me to pull a common LDS tactic/trick:

We don't pull tricks, we do have tactics, so do you.

You Said: That's not official Catholic doctrine...

Actually, it is, ask any Catholic.

You Said: checked off by The First Popery and the Quorum of 12 Archbishops and 70 General Authorities (otherwise known as nuns, the true behind-the-scenes leaders :) and unanimously sustained by every Roman Catholic everywhere & then printed in the Roman Catholic new scriptures, "Roman Catholic Doctrines & Covenants"...

You have a gift for bad analogies, sir.

I Said: There are also Plenty of protestant churches with equally damning statements about anyone who is not a member of their church, I have yet to see you broadside any of them, care to ping me to a few posts in say the last month where you do? If so I will publicly apologize for misjudging you.

You Said: But seriously, there is one "serious" note of distinction in my graph above, one that also applies to your "Protestant" church reference here (tho I don't personally know of what Protestant churches you even reference...I mean pulling that response out of a hat is like me citing some obscure LDS break-off group & then tying that to LDS).

Funny, I thought you guys were presenting a unified "we all believe the same things with only minor differences" view. The "that's why Momrons aren't Christians" thing is based on all Protestants and Catholics holding hands and singing coombiyah, followed by anti Mormon songs around camp fires.

You Said: Anyway, here's the big difference: What I reference is LDS "Scripture." What you reference re: Catholics is informal Catholic beliefs...and perhaps a few past Pope statements that would amount to no more of a doctrinal level than Brigham Young's blood atonement or Adam-god doctrine. And the same is true of whatever Protestant churches you refer to: What scripture are they citing?

LOL! It is well known that we are all going to hell according to the Catholics, you have to know some on FR, ping them here and ask. I am not going to try to speak knowledge ably about their beliefs for I know that I cannot know as much as a believer of their religion, if you get a bonifide Roman Catholic over here who tells me I am wrong, I will admit it, and cease to make that statement. Anti Mormons should be as accommodating!

As for protestants, what better place to bring back up Fred Phelps' church, they Baptists, and Baptists are hardly an unheard of branch of "Mainstream Christianity" they are an excellent example of damning others to hell, can you show a post on any thread where you were not responding to me where you "Broad sided" them in the last three months?

Also, if you back trail my position history you will find it replete with others damning me to hell in the name of all Christendom (which is at best a tactic.)

[DelphiUser]

Of course I believe it, I just believe what I understand, I cannot believe that which I do not understand.
Do you understand this??

Romans 3:20
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin"

Yes, do you understand this:

Mathew 16:27

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Revelations 20:12-13

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

James 2:14-26

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Let me try shouting to be heard above your apparent preconcieved ideas about what we believe, ahem
WE BELIEVE YOU NEED BOTH FAITH AND WORKS!

Quoting me a scripture saying that works alone won't save you; fits perfectly with the scriptures about needing more than just faith, you need both.

[DelphiUser]

CC - yours shows diversity...

Diversity in Christianity... LOL! We tried that, anti Mormons want to (pardon the bad pun) crucify us for being "Diverse" Christians.

[DelphiUser]

****************BBL8R****************

[MHGinTN]

The Church is the Bride of Christ. I find it astonishing that a Mormon would believe Christ will subject His Bride to Judgment ... I thought Mormons were so family oriented that the wife is raised to goddesshood if the husband calls her to enter the kingdom with him? I guess their obsession with works overrides their espousals. What must they think of brides to believe the Christ will place His Bride before the judgment seat!... Oh, I forgot, the Mormons believe salvation comes 'after all that they can do', not when Faith is activated in The Christ. [I wonder, do Mormon husbands subject their wives to judgment daily based upon how well they perform their works for his husband-god's household? What does it take to satisfy the demigod of the household, if he believes he must work his way to salvation that has already been paid for and offered free to the faither?]

[FastCoyote]

“We tried that, anti Mormons want to (pardon the bad pun) crucify us for being “Diverse” Christians.”

Ah yes, the martyr syndrome. “We are just soooo good that everyone hates us!”

[DelphiUser]

“We tried that, anti Mormons want to (pardon the bad pun) crucify us for being “Diverse” Christians.”

Ah yes, the martyr syndrome. “We are just soooo good that everyone hates us!”

"Martyr syndrome" would require us to allow ourselves to be crucified, we have not done that, so I guees we are OK.

In the name of fun: If everyone really is out to get you are you still paranoid?

Similarly, can you imagine a world with out any hypothetical situations?

[Elsie]

I find it astonishing that a Mormon would believe Christ will subject His Bride to Judgment

Oh? Why is that; given THIS?

---

 

 

---

 

THE
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

SECTION 132

 

  51–57, Emma Smith is counseled (commanded) to be faithful and true; 58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.

 

 

  51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to ^aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

  52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, ^areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

  53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been ^afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

  54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and ^acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be ^bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

  55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ^ahundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of ^beternal lives in the eternal worlds.

  56 And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid ^aforgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to ^brejoice.

 

 

 

 

[Elsie]

Let me try shouting to be heard above your apparent preconcieved ideas about what we believe, ahem
WE BELIEVE YOU NEED BOTH FAITH AND WORKS!

 

Then, by all means...

 

Keep Up the GOOD WORKS!

 

 

Still small voice -->  Romans 3:20     "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin"

 

[DelphiUser]

Just out of curiosity, do you consider trying to twist the words of others a good work?

I say this because I specifically say that you need both Faith and Works, and you try to then say that I am doing works only and try to emulate the Holy Ghost with your "still small voice" absurdity and hint that I am not listening to God.

In reality, I am not listening to you.

News flash you are not God and you never will be God, sorry if I disillusioned you.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled trashing of my religion...

[Elsie]

News flash you are not God and you never will be God, sorry if I disillusioned you.

Psst...

You are not (a) god yet, and I REALLY doubt you will EVER be a god; but keep up the Good Works if you think that someday you will be a god.

[Diego1618]

You are not (a) god yet, and I REALLY doubt you will EVER be a god.

What about: [Genesis 1:26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. and :[1 John 3:1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Doesn't this show both testaments indicating we are of the family of God?

[Genesis 17:1] And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. and [Colossians 1:28] Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Does this indicate to you that we will be perfect....someday?

[Job 14:14] If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. and [1 Corinthians 15:51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

Would this be an indication to you that we will undergo some type of transformation?

[Psalm 17:15] As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. and [1 John 3:2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

According to scripture....will we look like God?

[Psalm 8:5] For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. and [Hebrews 2:7] Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands.

Do both testaments indicate here that we are presently a little lower than the Angels?

[Malachi 3:17] And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. and [Romans 8:14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Does the Lord indicate here that we will be his sons?

Psalm 82:6] I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. and [John 10:34-36] Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

What are we being referred to here....in both testaments?

I'm not a Morman....I'm just asking questions!

[MHGinTN]

In Psalm 82 the ‘gods’ reference is offered not so much as a blessing on the ones but as a slur on those who thought of themselves too highly.

[Diego1618]

In Psalm 82 the ‘gods’ reference is offered not so much as a blessing on the ones but as a slur on those who thought of themselves too highly.

You're correct in that some folks read it that way. I'm just not sure....especially when taking it with the other verses I've offered.

Psalm 82

[MHGinTN]

Interesting website! ... "They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

they. That is, the judges know not." These are they that are referred to as 'gods'. Not exactly a praise-worthy designation, eh?

[DouglasKC]

Doesn't this show both testaments indicating we are of the family of God?

The family of God is an interesting concept. I think the bible is fairly clear that are and will be children of God.

The question is what does that form take? If we ARE literally children of God then it only makes sense that we will be LIKE God. As Diego pointed out in this scripture:

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

If we are to be like God, in the family of God, then it makes sense that we will be of the same substance, the same stuff.

I'm not sure what the Mormon stance is on this, but I think the problem most Christians have with this concept is that they believe that when people become "like God" that they are somehow "other gods". I don't see it that way. I see it that we ARE part of God's family, children of God. We do his will, we fulfill what he wants fulfilled. We have tremendous power, but only to do his will. I think that's what Jesus was indicating here:

Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

I think Paul also summed up the future of Christ's servants:

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

I don't believe we are "gods" separate from God. We ARE part of God, joined in perfect love and unity.

[DelphiUser]

look out! you are allowed to read the Bible, as long as you only read the scriptures that are suggested, and interpret them in the "Orthodox" manner.

We can't have people reading or thinking or praying for themselves!

[Elsie]

We can't have people reading or thinking or praying for themselves!

Well spoken by someone who is a member of an organization that has a Living Prophet® to channel GOD's words to the members.