Defending the Faith: Top Book of Mormon expert Royal Skousen to lecture

Yup...Fiji Hill in post #4 mentions uncle-nephew ties...see also post #12 for reference to 5,000 Year Leap...

I thought it odd in reading Strategic Locations, that Skousen supposedly speaks for American conservatives everywhere, mostly Christians, in his book, yet he spoke highly of Mormons. Now I know why. He himself is one. He hid that fact in his book. He said Mormons have taken a bad rap in his book, they are good “Christians.” A red flag went up big time.

He seemed to be following Joe Smith’s white horse prophecy to a tee in the book, guiding Christians to the inter-mountain west to escape the threat of the Chinese. Well, this is precisely what Joe Smith prophesied. Red flags everywhere.

The name, Skousen, should have clued me in as to who this guy was.

Joseph Smith - Plagiarist, Scammer, Horndog, Adulterer, Cultist.

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 Smith’s 1832 diary, including when he was writing about his “vision”? (see “An American Prophet’s 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]

Inuendos, Distortions, Smears .....

Colofornain, Does your life have no positive purpose and direction?

I would encourage you to find the Love of Jesus Christ, let it fill your soul with peace and love in order to settle the dispise in your heart.

But just to go one round of tit for tat .... Since in your opinion we LDS are not really Christian, what about Emperor
Constantine?

Emperor Constantine helped found your Christology by dictating a portion of the Nicene Creed before he was even a Christian.

At the end of his life Constantine anfinally accepted baptism by Eusibius a non-Nicene, Arius defender.

So in otherwords, A main founder of your Christian belief system, converted to a Christology much closer to the LDS Christology when he finally was baptised.

So is the venerated Saint Contantine a Christian? If so, he died believing in a Christ much closer to the LDS beliefs than to you Nicene belief?

Teppe, please start a thread on Constantine...I'm sure many would "flock" to it...

Btw, if you ever a missionary, did you just give hit & run shots & leave homes whenever anybody countered your viewpoint?

My impression, Teppe, is that you have RARELY engaged in any meaningful dialogue on these threads.

I mean, even you disagreed with everything I said, why is it that everything is hit & run?

I mean, a LOT of Mormons rightly have expressed concern when street-witnessing Christians engage in hit & run tactics without EVER expressing a willingness to dialogue in a cool & calm way.

I've had LOTS & LOTS of interesting extended dialogues with Lds missionaries. Most of them have been willing to move off their "Lesson 1, 2, 3 progression" and actually converse.

With you, just about every time I've responded to your concerns, I don't receive any additional feedback.

I just hope you don't treat your fellow stake clubbers, your family, your co-workers, and anybody else within your life that way.

Just sayin'...

You're still QUITE love-able Tep...

Keep postin'...you ARE EXTREMELY valuable to our Lord...He loves you more than we can ever know.

Who else heavily contributed to the Book of Mormon?

Perhaps a better question is "What else heavily contributed to the BoM?"

Actually, I read Freerepublic for political content, and when I come across your postings I basically respond to your hypocracy and move on.

There is no spirit of Christ in your postings ... never has been.

I could go tit for tat with you, and I have in the past, but usually you just regurgitate inuendo, distortion, and smears about people who aren’t alive to defend themselves.

Your generally so easy to respond to its pathetic.

For instance your insistance that early LDS polygamy was a sign of deviancy from God

... of course until I pointed out that the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” was the god of al least two confirmed polygamists and most likely three.

Your and Tennessee Nana’s brilliant response was that you believed in Jesus Christ ... not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob .....

Hardly worth responding to stunning intellect like that.

Your and Tennessee Nana’s brilliant response was that you believed in Jesus Christ ... not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
____________________________________

Teepe, ye must have forgotten to PING me when ye mentioned my name...

Im sure it was an oversight...

Meanwhile, as ye didnt give C a link to the past comments of ours that ye referenced I dont know what ye may have been suggesting..

however on the words ye used, YES...

As the LORD Jesus Christ is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (and believe it) I would have indeed given ye what ye would have regarded as a ‘brilliant response’ having little of the same experience derived from thou usual choice of reading material...

The LORD Jesus Christ is God...

I liveth to serve ye exciting news for thou starving spirit..

For instance your insistance that early LDS polygamy was a sign of deviancy from God

... of course until I pointed out that the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” was the god of al least two confirmed polygamists and most likely three.

Your and Tennessee Nana’s brilliant response was that you believed in Jesus Christ ... not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob .....

Well, Teppe, you weren't talking to me on the above, 'cause I've responded to the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob polygamy contention quite frequently on various threads (to other posters) in quite distinctive ways...and NEVER that I don't believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (because I do).

See what I mean, tho, Tep?

You dialogue so little you can't even recall one with me correctly.

There have been a NUMBER of other posters who would ask me, "Well, would you not vote for a Jewish candidate then?" (re: Romney the Mormon discussions). My standard response -- one I've given over a DOZEN times on FR -- is that with most Jewish candidates, their God is the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...and, at least (unlike most Mormons)...we worship the SAME God.

Teppe, Isaac was NEVER a polygamist. The Bible knows only Rebekah as Isaac's wife. It was Joseph Smith trying to justify polygamy to Emma that he slipped his name into D&C 132.

As for Jacob, we all know the story of how he became a polygamist: Downright deception by his father-in-law. You wouldn't want to claim as your "prototype" for polygamy somebody where deception was the foundation, would you?

(Well Joseph Smith did...but we know he was in good company as a deceiver himself)

Anyway, Gen. 30 shows Jacob sleeping with both his wife's handmaidens as being pregnancy-rivalry based (see Gen. 30:1 and following)...it could hardly be described as a healthy household at that time.

Oh, and speaking of Jacob, 'tis good to know that you have apparently rejected the Book of Jacob in the Book of Mormon...well, at least those verses there that reject polygamy:

Polygamy and concubinage is described as less "righteous" (Jacob 3:5), an "abomination" (Jacob 2:24) with concubines "zeroed" out? (Jacob 2:27; 3:5): "...concubines ye shall have none..." (Jacob 2:27)

"Behold, the Lamanites...are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our fathers--that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none... (Jacob 3:5) [cf. Ether 10:5]

As for Abraham, his final wife (Keturah) is listed in Genesis AFTER the listing for Sarah's death.

Beyond that, all you have to do is call the Biblical witnesses to the witness stand and hear what they have to say...because NOBODY beyond Sarai (Sarah) referenced her servant as a "wife" -- and then we only know of one time she did so before the servant slept with Abraham. In fact, we don't even know if Abraham had sex with Hagar more than once.

Read it all for yourself...as to who was still referencing Hagar as Sarah's servant (and NOT as Abraham's wife) AFTER Abraham had already slept with her:

Q Hagar, after Sarai gave you to Abram and Ishmael was conceived, did you still acknowledge Sarai as your "mistress" in your conversation with the Angel of the Lord? [female master]
A Yes. (Gen. 16:8)

Q Sarai, when you were in your early nineties when Isaac was a toddler, how did you characterize Hagar?
A I told Abraham, Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son, Isaac. (Gen. 21:10)

Q Abraham, after Sarah gave you Hagar and you slept with her, how did you characterize Hagar?
A I told Sarah, as mistress (master) of her servant, Your servant is in your hands. Do with her whatever you think best. (Gen. 16:6)

Q When Sarah began to mistreat her servant, Hagar, did you intervene like what we might expect a husband to do?
A No. Hagar was Sarah's servant.

Q Angel of the Lord, when you called to Hagar after she conceived Ishmael, how did you reference her?
A Servant of Sarai (Gen. 16:8)

Q And when you conversed with Hagar, did you, Angel of the Lord, acknowledge that she was released from her servant role to Sarai?
A No. In fact, I told her Go back to your mistress and submit to her. (Gen. 16:9)
QSo, it's not recorded that you told Hagar to go back to Abraham, or to your husband Abraham?
A No

Q Moses, since you wrote Genesis, how did you identify Hagar in her last reference of that book? Did you link her to Abraham?
A No. I identified her as "Sarah's maidservant" (Gen. 25:12).

Q So in that same passage, you link Ishmael to Abraham, but you link Hagar only to Sarah?
A Yes.

Q Apostle, Paul How did the Holy Spirit lead you to interpret the Old Covenant as expressed through Abraham?
A For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother...Now you brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? 'Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son.' Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. (Gal. 4:21-31)

Sorry, Teppe. Abraham NEVER calls Hagar his "wife" (or even his concubine) in the Bible. Nor does Moses. Nor does the apostle Paul in Galatians 4. Nor does the Angel of the Lord in the very chapter where all this is described.

And even a few years after Isaac's birth, Sarah is referencing her as that "slave woman" (Gen. 21:10) -- NOT as either an equal "wife" or even as a "concubine"!!!

(This is what happens Teppe when you fail to study the Bible)

(Forgot to ping you to last post)

... Book of Mormon expert ...

What I want to hear are words from experts on the Book of MORMON Doctrine; the Doctrines and Covenants and the extensive research into the writings that have produced all the rituals found performed in the vast number of MORMONism Temple found about the world.

... Book of Mormon expert ...

What does one really need to know???

Hasn't HISTORY delivered enough material to us already?

"Now the way he translated was he put the urim and thummim into his hat and Darkned his Eyes than he would take a sentance and it would apper in Brite Roman Letters. Then he would tell the writer and he would write it. Then that would go away the next sentance would Come and so on. But if it was not Spelt rite it would not go away till it was rite, so we see it was marvelous. Thus was the hol [whole] translated."

---Joseph Knight's journal.

"In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us."
(History of the RLDS Church, 8 vols.

(Independence, Missouri: Herald House,1951),

"Last Testimony of Sister Emma [Smith Bidamon]," 3:356.

"I, as well as all of my father's family, Smith's wife, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, were present during the translation. . . . He [Joseph Smith] did not use the plates in translation."
---(David Whitmer,

as published in the "Kansas City Journal," June 5, 1881,

and reprinted in the RLDS "Journal of History", vol. 8, (1910), pp. 299-300.

In an 1885 interview, Zenas H. Gurley, then the editor of the RLDS Saints Herald, asked Whitmer if Joseph had used his "Peep stone" to do the translation. Whitmer replied:

"... he used a stone called a "Seers stone," the "Interpreters" having been taken away from him because of transgression. The "Interpreters" were taken from Joseph after he allowed Martin Harris to carry away the 116 pages of Ms [manuscript] of the Book of Mormon as a punishment, but he was allowed to go on and translate by use of a "Seers stone" which he had, and which he placed in a hat into which he buried his face, stating to me and others that the original character appeared upon parchment and under it the translation in English."

"Martin Harris related an incident that occurred during the time that he wrote that portion of the translation of the Book of Mormon which he was favored to write direct from the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone, Martin explained the translation as follows: By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin and when finished he would say 'Written,' and if correctly written that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used."
(Edward Stevenson, "One of the Three Witnesses,"

reprinted from Deseret News, 30 Nov. 1881

in Millennial Star, 44 (6 Feb. 1882): 86-87.)

In 1879, Michael Morse, Emma Smith's brother-in-law, stated:

"When Joseph was translating the Book of Mormon [I] had occasion more than once to go into his immediate presence, and saw him engaged at his work of translation. The mode of procedure consisted in Joseph's placing the Seer Stone in the crown of a hat, then putting his face into the hat, so as to entirely cover his face, resting his elbows upon his knees, and then dictating word after word, while the scribes Emma, John Whitmer, O. Cowdery, or some other wrote it down."
(W.W. Blair interview with Michael Morse,

Saints Herald, vol. 26, no. 12

June 15, 1879, pp. 190-91.)

Joseph Smith's brother William also testified to the "face in the hat" version:

"The manner in which this was done was by looking into the Urim and Thummim, which was placed in a hat to exclude the light, (the plates lying near by covered up), and reading off the translation, which appeared in the stone by the power of God"

("A New Witness for Christ in America,"

Francis W. Kirkham, 2:417.)

"The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret was the same manner as when he looked for the money-diggers, with the stone in his hat, while the book of plates were at the same time hid in the woods."

---Isaac Hale (Emma Smith's father's) affidavit, 1834.

Hasn't HISTORY delivered enough material to us already?

The "Caractors" are the only tangible evidence in existence related to Smith's story.

No gold plates, no brass plates, no peep stones, no Urim and Thummim...

only these "Caractors," not a single one of which is in the purported languages.

Smith's translation of the Caractors. According to Martin Harris (Joseph Smith - History, 1:64), "I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated,* and he said they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters."

Speak right up now in all truthfulness. Isn't it revealing how Smith started out making a stab at creating believable "caractors" but quckly gave up and produced nothing but squiggles, ending up wih a series of nothing more than crude little scribbles? Yet Professor Anthon supposedly translated them!

*Harris must have had two or three pieces of paper with him—one with characters and a translation of them (on the same paper or a separate one) and one with untranslated characters—quite likely the "Caractors." Some Mormon "scholars" have gone out on a limb, sawed it off, and knocked themselves out trying to translate from these true Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic characters a segment that would correspond with a verse from 1 Nephi.

Modern-day experts in Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic. In 1829, any knowledge of these languages possessed by U.S. scholars would have been rudimentary at best. Expertise in them has vastly improved since then. So go ahead, do it. Get any modern expert in these languages to identify which of these "Caractors" are Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac and Arabic. Better still, accept the claim of Mormon apologists that Anthon did indeed so testify and that his appraisal of the Caractors was correct. (Op. cit, pp. 73-75)

Save your money! Samples of Assyriac/Aramaic and Arabic writing:

What say you? Which of Smith's "Caractors" resemble the Assyriac and Arabic ones? No need to pay experts for their analysis. A child could accurately check this out. These writing systems have remained constant for well over 3000 years.

Preface to the Book of Mormon 1830 Ed.

PREFACE.
TO THE READER—
As many false reports have been circulated respecting the following work, and also many unlawful measures taken by the evil designing persons to destroy me, and also the work, I would inform you that I translated, by the gift and power of God, and caused to be written, one hundred and sixteen pages, the which I took from the Book of Lehi, which was an account abridged from the plates of Lehi, by the hand of Mormon; which said account, some person or persons have stolen and kept from me, notwithstanding my utmost exertions to recover it again—and being commanded of the Lord that I should not translate the same over again, for Satan had put it into their hearts to tempt the Lord their God, by altering the words, that they did read contrary from that which I translated and caused to be written; and if I should bring forth the same words again, or, in other words, if I should translate the same over again, they would publish that which they had stolen, and Satan would stir up the hearts of this generation, that they might not receive this work: but behold, the Lord said unto me, I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing: therefore thou shalt translate from the plates of Nephi, until ye come to that which ye have translated, which ye have retained; and behold ye shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words. I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will shew unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the Devil. Wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, I have, through his grace and mercy, accomplished that which he hath commanded me respecting this thing. I would also inform you that the plates of which hath been spoken, were found in the township of Manchester, Ontario county, New-York.
THE AUTHOR.

AUTHOR!!!

THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI

HIS REIGN AND MINISTRY

CHAPTER 16

The wicked take the truth to be hard—Lehi’s sons marry the daughters of Ishmael—The Liahona guides their course in the wilderness—Messages from the Lord are written on the Liahona from time to time—Ishmael dies; his family murmur because of afflictions. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

1 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.

2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken ^ahard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the ^bguilty taketh the ^ctruth to be hard, for it ^dcutteth them to the very center.

3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might ^awalk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.

4 And it came to pass I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.

5 And it came to pass that they did ^ahumble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness.

6 Now, all these things were said and done as my father dwelt in a tent in the ^avalley which he called Lemuel.

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the ^adaughters of Ishmael to ^bwife; and also, my brethren took of the ^cdaughters of Ishmael to wife; and also ^dZoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife.

8 And thus my father had fulfilled all the ^acommandments of the Lord which had been given unto him. And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly.

9 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should take his ^ajourney into the wilderness.

10 And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ^aball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one ^bpointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness.

11 And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we did take ^aseed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.

12 And it came to pass that we did take our tents and depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman.

13 And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place ^aShazer.

14 And it came to pass that we did take our bows and our arrows, and go forth into the wilderness to slay food for our families; and after we had slain food for our families we did return again to our families in the wilderness, to the place of Shazer. And we did go forth again in the wilderness, following the same direction, keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were in the borders near the ^aRed Sea.

15 And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, ^aslaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings.

16 And we did follow the ^adirections of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness.

17 And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.

18 And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine ^asteel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.

19 And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food.

20 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did ^amurmur against the Lord.

21 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their ^asprings, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.

22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto ^acomplaining against the Lord their God.

23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did ^amake out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my ^bfather: Whither shall I go to obtain food?

24 And it came to pass that he did ^ainquire of the Lord, for they had ^bhumbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.

25 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly ^achastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.

26 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.

27 And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were ^awritten upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives.

28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the ^afaith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.

29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us ^aunderstanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by ^bsmall means the Lord can bring about great things.

30 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the ^adirections which were given upon the ball.

31 And it came to pass that I did slay wild ^abeasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.

32 And it came to pass that I did return to our tents, bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I had obtained ^afood, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto him.

33 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey, traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning; and after we had traveled for the space of many days we did pitch our tents again, that we might tarry for the space of a time.

34 And it came to pass that ^aIshmael died, and was buried in the place which was called ^bNahom.

35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did ^amourn exceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of their ^bafflictions in the wilderness; and they did ^cmurmur against my father, because he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, saying: Our father is dead; yea, and we have wandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness with hunger.

36 And thus they did murmur against my father, and also against me; and they were desirous to ^areturn again to Jerusalem.

37 And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons of Ishmael: Behold, let us ^aslay our father, and also our brother Nephi, who has taken it upon him to be our ^bruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren.

38 Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that ^aangels have ministered unto him. But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman ^bstir up their hearts to ^canger.

39 And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did ^achasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.

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?

--MormonDude(If you were NOT such a HATEFUL bigot; you'd know that LEGITIMATE can mean a lot of things: especially to us MORMONs!)

I liveth to serve ye exciting news for thou starving spirit..

Joseph Smith - Plagiarist, Scammer, Horndog, Adulterer, Cultist.

Decisions decisions!

Emma Hale only!!

Fanny Alger
Lucinda Morgan Harris
Louisa Beaman
Zina Huntington Jacobs
Presendia Huntington Buell
Agnes Coolbrith
Sylvia Sessions Lyon
Mary Rollins Lightner
Patty Bartlett Sessions
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Sarah Kingsley Cleveland
Delcena Johnson
Eliza R. Snow
Sarah Ann Whitney
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