Replies

Re. The papyri were in that Chicago museum for all the world to see for some time, & Joseph’s translation was never discredited.

It is unclear if the Chandler documents were ever displayed before the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the Chicago Museum and all of its contents (the scrolls were sold to a private collector sometime before then). Further, it is not known to what extent Champollion's work concerning translation of hieroglyphic writing was available to scholars in the Midwest by the early 1870's. And, of course, there is no evidence the papyrus writings were ever examined by any qualified expert by then.
But all of that is immaterial. The simple truth is that in recent years, scholars did get a good look at the Chandler writings, and every single qualified individual agrees Joseph mistranslated every single character. Joseph's peepstone was no more accurate here than it was on his famous money digging expedition to Salem Massachusetts in 1836 (described HERE).

Re. We don’t have a known original of the Bible either (does the same dog ate the homework ruse apply?)

A simple Google search turned up 700,000 sources affirming the faithful and accurate preservation of Bible manuscripts. I recommend you start HERE if you have any questions about their veracity.
Just as significant, there is no question concerning our ability to understand Biblical Greek and Hebrew. And thousands of scholars attest that modern English Bible translations (e.g. KJV, NKJV, NIV, ASV, etc.) do an excellent job of faithfully conveying the ideas and concepts set forth by the original writers of the documents.

Re. You’re being flat out lazy. I’ve provided the links w/ expert views & explanations on the veracity of Joseph’s fascimile’s. Read.

Sorry. As abundantly explained with annotations HERE your experts are dead wrong. Compare their vitae with those sources cited in your post. Then come back when you can locate somebody with similar credentials who is willing to back your position.

Finally: Returning to an earlier topic, can you refute any of the statements made in this POST concerning the lack of credibility of LDS sources vs. the anti-Mormon Tanners?

Thank you Zakeet. To be quite honest, I really didn't know how to respond to that tripe. I do believe that the Book of Abraham is the most well documented fraud in the History of the United States. But as PT Barnum stated, "There's a sucker born every minute."

How anyone can believe this nonsense is simply beyond me. I can see that the Mormons WANT TO BELIEVE it, and will go to every length to prove to themselves that what is there, isn't really there, and what isn't there really is there.

They've made up their minds. Don't confuse them with the facts.

I’ll try once again to bring elucidation to your ruse, try & stay w/ me here. The church has never claimed that the remaining Chandler papyri is that of the Book of Abraham! Period! Is this really that hard for you to understand? Please stop embarrassing yourself being continuing to bring up this canard.

“One area that is important is Hugh Nibley’s research on this. Incidentally, this research of Dr. Nibley’s was what Klaus Baer (Nibley’s instructor in Egyptian) said was a delight and a necessity for upcoming Egyptologists to read. This was Nibley’s serial articles in the Improvement Era, 1968-1970, “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price.” Boyd Jay Petersen has also written about this situation in his biography of Hugh Nibley, “Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life,” by Boyd Jay Petersen, Greg Kofford Books, 2002: 313-334; 397-405”.

“Then reading Dr. Nibley’s materials “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price,” of which writings Klaus Baer himself, one of the translators of the Joseph Smith Papyri, said was delightful and probably ought to be a mandatory read for upcoming and budding Egyptologists. He was very impressed with Nibley’s work.

You’ll also find a wonderful debate w/ a professional Egyptologist found at:
http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/ponderin.htm

Sorry, not only I, but I would dare say Dr. Baer as well, would put up Nibley’s credentials against those you have cited any day of the week. Some of those “experts” cited by the Tanners & others have been shown to be totally fraudulent in that in some cases, they didn’t have a degree for their research yet presented themselves as experts.

I can see where you’re going w/ the rest of your inquiry & would refer you to:
http://en.fairmormon.org/First_Vision_accounts
for answers to these as well as the others that are undoubtedly to come. Many of these answers have already been gone over ad nauseum in this forum & even on this thread.

It is quite obvious that a rational, reasoned discussion w/ you is not possible, therefore, the sandbox is yours. I wish you a wonderful Sabbath.