Haven't Anti-Mormons Completely Destroyed the Credibility of Mormonism?

jefflindsay.com ^ | Nov. 5, 2006 | Jeff Lindsay

[Zakeet]

THERE IS MUCH CONFUSION CONCERNING THE JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE

LDS say that Smith never finished the JST

On one hand: According to the D.H.C., Vol. I, pp. 324 and 368, and Times and Seasons, Vol. VI, p. 802, Joseph Smith completed a translation of the Bible. Those sources and Andrew Jensen's LDS Church Chronology show that the New Testament was finished February 2, 1833, and the Old Testament on July 2, 1833. In a revelation given on January 10, 1832, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon are commanded to "continue the work of translation until it is finished" (D. & C. 73:4). Obviously this was not talking about the B. of M. which was published in 1830. Nor could it be talking about the Book of Abraham Papyrus which Joseph Smith saw for the first time on July 3, 1835 (D.H.C., Vol. II, p. 235). Furthermore, Joseph Smith was commanded by God in D. & C. 124:89 to "publish the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth" (see also D. & C. 94:10 and 104:58).

On the other hand: In spite of these commands in LDS scripture the LDS Church never published the Inspired Version of the Bible until 1979. According to LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie, the reason it was not published is that "...This inspired revision of the ancient scriptures was never completed by the Prophet" (M.D., p. 383).

Smith’s translation of the Bible...was never included in the Mormon Standard Works/canon. Why?

When Smith was killed, the manuscript went to his wife who never accepted Brigham Young as the successor to her husband. Her son Joseph III later became the Prophet of the Reorganized LDS Church and published the new translation for the Reorganized LDS Church for the first time in 1867. Thus, the JST has been included in the RLDS Standard Works for years.

Many LDS people have used the RLDS edition, but it has never been officially endorsed by the LDS Church because they did not trust the apostate Reorganized LDS Church.

In addition ...

The ninth printing of the 1944 edition entitles it the Inspired Version The Holy Scriptures. Below that title it says A New Corrected Edition. Page 3 of the Preface reads: As concerning the manner of translation and correction, it is evident, that from the manuscripts and the testimony of those who were conversant with the facts that it was done by direct revelation from God.

This raises several interesting questions. If the inspired translation was done by direct revelation and yet needed correction by revelation, will the revealed corrections need to be corrected by further revelation? Why couldn't God reveal it correctly the first time? And why is about 90% of it a copy of the King James Version if that translation is as bad as LDS leaders have claimed it is?

[nicmarlo]

If the inspired translation was done by direct revelation and yet needed correction by revelation, will the revealed corrections need to be corrected by further revelation? Why couldn't God reveal it correctly the first time? And why is about 90% of it a copy of the King James Version if that translation is as bad as LDS leaders have claimed it is?

good questions.

[Godzilla]

Frankly, I am truly grateful that the Lord has seen fit to give us the Bible, after 2000 years, that confirms his truth and great love for us. Would that all men would use it and believe it!

Would that mormon leadership would believe the same too.

Orson Pratt proclaimed in a discourse delivered in 1859: "All the most ancient manuscripts of the New Testament known to the world differ from each other in almost every verse.... The learned admit that in the manuscripts of the New Testament alone there are no less than one hundred and thirty thousand different readings .... No one can tell whether even one verse of either the Old or New Testament conveys the ideas of the original author. Just think, 130,000 different readings in the New Testament alone!" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, pp.27-28).

In his book The World and the Prophets, page 188, Mormon apologist Dr. Hugh Nibley charges that "there are more than 8,000 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, no two of which read exactly alike!"

... thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men.
Wherefore, thou seeth that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.
... because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them (Book of Mormon, I Nephi 13:26-29)

Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., son of the tenth president of the church, said that "The early 'Apostate Fathers' did not think it was wrong to tamper with inspired scripture. If any scripture seemed to endanger their viewpoint, it was altered, transplanted or completely removed from the Biblical text" (Religious Truths Defined, p.175).

Apostle Mark E. Peterson casts doubt on the reliability of the Bible: "Many insertions were made, some of them 'slanted' for selfish purposes, while at times deliberate falsifications and fabrications were perpetrated" (As Translated Correctly, p.4). "It is evident then that many of the 'plain and precious' things were omitted from the Bible by failure to choose all of the authentic books for inclusion, and by deliberate changes, deletions and forgeries ..." (p.14).

In 1832 the Mormon publication The Evening and the Morning Star (vol. 1, No. 1, p.3), said that the changes in the Bible were made "by the Mother of Harlots while it was confined in that Church,—say, from the year A.D. 460 to 1400."

Fact is, while holding up the KJV, mormons attack it as unreliable. So for mormons, how reliable is that? And if the JST is based upon the KJV, yet MS documentation refutes Smith's edition - how honest can one expect Smith's other writings to be?

[Elsie]

Many LDS people have used the RLDS edition, but it has never been officially endorsed by the LDS Church because they did not trust the apostate Reorganized LDS Church.

Why can't they all just get along???

[Elsie]

 

Would that mormon leadership would believe the same too.

 

Believe WHAT??

 

THESE guys didn't even 'believe' their own BOOK!!

     

                          Smith                                                                        Young                                                                         Taylor                                                            Pratt

 

 

   

                      Snow                                                           Kimball                                    Woodruff

 

 

---

 

 

 

THE BOOK OF JACOB
THE BROTHER OF NEPHI

CHAPTER 2

 

  24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
  25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
  26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
  27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
  28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
  29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
  30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
  31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
  32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.

 

 

[Elsie]

Why would a MORMON post a picture of creature with two a$$holes and no brains?

[MHGinTN]

Familiarity?... Maybe the thread originator will post one of her favortie semi-nude females with the come hither look she uses to blow up threads when they aren’t going as planned. Who knows why strange people do strange things?

[MHGinTN]

Did I ping you to #343?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Resty,

A wonderfully hilarious picture of Mormonism!

The feelings confirm the feelings confirm the feelings,
ignore the facts, confirm the feelings!

[Zakeet]

If the JST is based upon the KJV, yet MS documentation refutes Smith's edition - how honest can one expect Smith's other writings to be?

I asked the same question HERE, but I can't get any Latter-day Saint to even attempt to answer it!

[MHGinTN]

Ah, but true to their training they will answer the question ‘you should have asked.’ Which of course avoids revealing the true nature of the hive.

[MHGinTN]

Have you seen #343, BTW?

[Godzilla]

A non-prophet organization

[MHGinTN]

You need to read this excerpt (post #343) to get a true feel for the conman Smith. He was a master at fabrications.

[MHGinTN]

Oh yeah, time for my 'code' as resty calls it ...

Bwahahahahahahahaha, 'non-prophet' org! That was funny, dude!

[Godzilla]

Code ring deciphered - by more ovaltine

[presently no screen name]

Thanks, I will.

[nicmarlo]

As anyone can readily see, Joe Smith fabricated a huge addition to this chapter ending in Genesis. What text did he consult, or did he just ‘hear it from God and write it down for your edification (but not those outside of the Mormonism cult?) … which edification you apologists deem so secret that you do not tout it but follow it as 'footnotes' to the King James Bible?

Wow! That's a whole lotta difference than the KJV I have, which says:

Genesis 50

24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

[tantiboh]

I’m sorry, were you trying to say something substantive, Elsie? It can be so hard to pick substance from your spam.

You know, I logged on and saw I was over a hundred replies behind.

Then I started seeing your name pop up, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I think I need more WD40 for my scroll wheel, though.