WHY HAS BOOK OF MORMON GONE THROUGH SO MANY CHANGES SINCE IT WAS TRANSLATED DIRECTLY FROM TABLETS?

Thus the correct meaning of Anti-Morman would bet to be against the policy or practice of the structure called morman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5evKY5n0GM

I think I read the tablets were lost on the way West.

Well; according to official MORMON records...

After translation was complete, Smith said he returned the plates to the angel, although he did not elaborate about this experience.^[130] According to accounts by several early Mormons, a group of Mormon leaders including Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and possibly others^[131] accompanied Smith and returned the plates to a cave inside the Hill Cumorah.^[132] There, Smith is said to have placed the plates on a table near "many wagon loads" of other ancient records, and the Sword of Laban hanging on the cave wall.^[133] According to Brigham Young's understanding, which he said he gained from Cowdery, on a later visit to the cave, the Sword of Laban was said to be unsheathed and placed over the plates, and inscribed with the words "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ."^[134]

Smith taught that part of the golden plates were "sealed".^[135] This "sealed" portion is said to contain "a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof".^[136] Many Latter Day Saints believe that the plates will be kept hidden until a future time when the sealed part will be translated^[137] and, according to one early Mormon leader, transferred from the hill to one of the Mormon temples.^[138]

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_plates}

Question: Why did Mormon leaders change the title page of the Book of Mormon, announcing Smith was the translator after Smith published that he was the "author and proprietor?"

HMMMmmm...

Dude!

You are ON to something!!!

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!!!

“What really makes me laugh is anyone who had a question on anything got little personalized messages from God thru JS.

No!!

You just HAVE to be kidding... Right???

Doctines and Covenants section 132

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.

God usually entrusts those kind of revelations to holy men, or at the least, men who receive those kinds of revelations quickly become holy men once they experience the divine firsthand.

You could certainly be right, but that's not what I'm finding in my study.

Men and women are not chosen because they are holy, but become "holy" through their willingness and acceptance of God and their willful surrender to God, so that He may purify them in His Love. Their transformation is testimony of His Way, how He works and His Love.

Saul is my favorite example, but there are others. Even now, today, living among us in our world, being used by God to speak to us in the language and context we understand.

I think the free will deal God made with us for this test means we must freely submit, freely seek Him and learn His ways, but He won't force us, only welcome and Love us as with the prodigal son. God is not a god of force or hate or war. He is the God of Love and Peace.

I'm sorta late in life and late to the party with my studies and understanding. But, from what I've learned along my path, my guess is that Mo wasn't interested in what Gabriel was selling, if that's what actually happened, and kept his heart encased in stone. His ego had other plans.

Just my theory, but it is supported by what I've learned about human nature and what God and Jesus are all about, and my understanding that there is no peace or love in what Mo gave to the world, just his ego.

I think for the same reasons.

Think again...

Don’t you remember in the New Testament, when Jesus told the Apostles “hasta la vista!” before He ascended to heaven?

"Don't Worry - He'll Be Back"
The Greatest Action Story Ever Told

No.

The archangel Baalzebubb was.

Then too, grammar. And if they took out all those “and it came to pass” and “in the fullness of time” statements you’d have something the size of a pamphlet.

"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.

...if they took out all those “and it came to pass” and “in the fullness of time” statements you’d have something the size of a pamphlet.

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.

...if they took out all those “and it came to pass” and “in the fullness of time” statements you’d have something the size of a pamphlet.

We have to remember, that the BOM is the most correct book on earth and will get Mormons nearer to God than any other book!

Then the OTHER 3 books that are accepted as scripture by LDS, Inc. must be of lesser value; right?

(I've heard the Book of ABRAHAM; found in The Pearl of Great Price; will get MORMONs FARTHER away from their chosen religious practice than any other.)

How do we know this site is not biased?

EVERY site is biased in one way or another.

THIS one is quite heavily biased toward Conservatism!!

My question is: Why would a Catholic try to help out Mormonism?

Most of us don’t care what practicing Mormons believe as long as they don’t under pain of death make all of us live under their rules, cut off the heads of Christians, Jews or make our wives and daughters wear black sheets from head to toe.

So; hellish theology doesn't matter to you; eh?

Most of us don’t care what practicing Mormons believe as long as they don’t under pain of death make all of us live under their rules, cut off the heads of Christians, Jews or make our wives and daughters wear black sheets from head to toe.

I can guarantee you that there are some in America who feel quite differently!

I do not feel threatened by it because I don’t think that they will be attempting to convert by the sword.

The gruesome be headings of some 40 Ute corpses in 1850, heads stacked in boxes,

and hung by their long hair from the eves of buildings at Fort Utah,

has long been ignored, “You didn’t see the Indians beheading the Mormons.”

-- Historian Robert Carter

...cut off the heads of Christians,

OOps!

My fault.

I missed the qualifier in your statement.

Sorry...

Most of us don’t care what practicing Mormons believe as long as they don’t under pain of death make all of us live under their rules, cut off the heads of Christians, Jews or make our wives and daughters wear black sheets from head to toe.

May I assume that WHITE garmmies are OK with you?

Yes, mormons are “nice” people. I’m married to a mormon, friends with and served in Scouting with many mormons. That is not what is being discussed.

Mormons teach another gospel, teach of another christ, a war like and murderous christ. Mormons teach that Jesus is the literal spirit brother of Lucifer, that man earns his salvation and can ultimately become a God. A false gospel to be sure, yet, they claim that all of Christendom has fallen into apostasy.

Ephesians 4:18
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

I would rather die a physical death than a spiritual one.

http://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-death.html

You?

Once again; someone proclaiming how great the people are, while merely ‘disagreeing’ with the religion they practice.

Without the "golden plates"...

Hot diggety dang it!

They are in the HILL!!!

--MormonDude(I don't know WHY our Living Prophet® will NOT give the word to open up the cave and SHOW THE WORLD THE TRUTH!)