Please Explain how Joseph Smith could have possibly authored the Book of Mormon.

[DeepShadow]

Isn't that why you created your own thread about the moral content--because it's not relevant to this particular discussion? As for the historical, it sounds relevant to me; can you be more specific?

[spiritually inclined]

I haven't received in-depth, specific answers into my own thread as to why immoral scriptures appear in the Book of Mormon. The best I got was that they were from Isaiah. But they're in the Book of Mormon, too.

James

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by spiritually inclined

I haven't received in-depth, specific answers into my own thread as to why immoral scriptures appear in the Book of Mormon. The best I got was that they were from Isaiah. But they're in the Book of Mormon, too.

James

Well, I did point out that Isaiah is highly symbolic and metaphorical. With respect to the Bible, you have stated that "I think it would be better to call it a source of truth and wisdom, and a lot of other things." Apparently you can see the truth and wisdom in it in spite of the passages that are morally troubling to you. Since so far, the only passages in the Book of Mormon you find to be "immoral" are quoted from Isaiah, would it be fair to say that, in spite of these, the book can be "a source of truth and wisdom"?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Starfish

I just discovered this thread between Halcyon and Deep Shadow. They are both over my head, but very interesting. I hope they keep it up.

Halcyon & DeepShadow: How could Joseph Smith have authored the Book of Mormon?

DeepShadow is always over my head, but I have learned SOOOO much from him that he continues to be my mentor. I suggested that he and Halycon have a go at this subject in a one-on-one because I knew that Halycon would be a respectful debator but that he would prove to be a good challenge for Deep Shadow (which is something I can't say for a lot of people).

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Starfish

But doesn't it strike you odd that after all these years, there isn't one? The book exists, and no one can explain it?

Nope.
It does not strike me as odd.
The book exists and you can and have explained it.
Granted, there are those who disagree with your explanation and present their own.
Of which you dismiss as just as invalid as they think of your explanation.

Does anyone else see the circle here?

[Starfish]

Originally Posted by Mestemia

Nope.
It does not strike me as odd.
The book exists and you can and have explained it.
Granted, there are those who disagree with your explanation and present their own.
Of which you dismiss as just as invalid as they think of your explanation.

Does anyone else see the circle here?

Point taken.

Our explanation is dismissed because it's too fantastic. No LDS disputes that. But what I was asking for was a non-fantastic explanation. One that stands up under scrutiny.

[BalanceFx]

Originally Posted by Starfish

Point taken.

Our explanation is dismissed because it's too fantastic. No LDS disputes that. But what I was asking for was a non-fantastic explanation. One that stands up under scrutiny.

Your explanation doesn't stand up under scrutiny but you expect one that does?

IMHO there can be a fantastic explanation but it is not supernatural. In order for the explanation to be supernatural you would first have to prove the supernatural. Prove angels and gods exist. I believe its been centuries and though millions have spoken to gods with millions of different of stories and there have been thousands of prophets and even a few gods and a few of the gods sons have personally visited our world, surprisingly they havent proven anything yet.

If anything we can sum up all of the holy books, religious claims and supernatural claims as a check mark in the fake column for validity of god. Thats what we do with unprovable theories that serve no useful purpose and lead to more harm then good. Historically. The irony today is when people can't see the harm their beliefs could... emphasis on could... have when historically its been proven to be so.

Quick example... thats a bit more modern. Gays and lesbians... They are considered evil by many religious people... go browse these forums in the last few days even and you will see them implicitly called evil and comparisons to sodom and gomorrah.

????

What does their being gay have to do with morality? Why are they evil? I have friends who are gay... they dont strike me as evil. Granted this is being stirred up because a gay marriage is not as sacred as hetero marriage??? Says who?

Why is there always something that needs to be declared evil and needs hatred? Who teaches hate? Omnibenevolent gods?

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Off topic... but I thought I would go there... just briefly as a modern example and my objection.

My original point is your explanation involves claims of angels, plates of gold that vanish along with their translation stones, the ability to fortell the future, the acceptance of a personal god, the acceptance of people long dead who appear again to baptize and bless us, the acceptance that angels appear to some etc etc... To me, and this is not an insult, but might as well said wizards from dungeons and dragons are real creatures and the spell grimiore is just a small sampling of the spells that exist in real life and through the power of the wish spell and a few years of aging the BoM was wished into existance. The manuscript that held the original text of the wish was written on gold plates and certified by several lawyers to insure the GM, ie GOD, could not twist the meaning to harm us in anyway. The gold plates were then destroyed with a meteor swarm as cast by a level 81 wizard evocation specialist. The site it was destroyed at is called crater park to this day and all true wizards are trained privately until they master the etheral spell so that they spend there days here among us only on the etheral plane. It is there that true knowledge is kept.

The library of Preung has been assemebled there and contains all the proof of the supernatural realms which is spirited away before any word of it could get out. Its the only protection we have from the mortal folk who if found us out would begin to learn the ancient art of wizardry for themselves and could use their powers in ways the almighty had not intended. To that end the almighty himself aids our cause and protects our library. He has sent his guardian Eepeona to guard our sacred texts.

Etc etc... It sounds made up. Digging for a box... finding a box... opening a box... finding gold plates... angels... translation stones... Talking to god and angels... This is a great story... but its a story... like parting the red sea... turning water to wine or rising from the dead after 3 days. All things people said that other people assume to be true... They wrote it down, some dude read it to you and you believe it. Not thats there anything wrong with that... but seriously I need more then second and third hand accounts of what someone wrote.

Show me an angel or the effect angels have and I will hear you out. Once we establish angels as real we can move on to gods and prophets and people who talk to gods.

[Starfish]

Balance, that's my whole point. Our explanation is bizarre, we see that. (Though no more bizarre than what's in the Bible, which we believe is true.) That's why the world rejects it. No surprise at all. If I wasn't raised on the whole story, I would have thought we were crazy.

So if it's too unbelievable to accept, then what believable explanation is there? I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record, but apparently I'm not being clear enough. The few explanations that have been offered here, don't hold up. The evidence doesn't support them. Yet the book exists. It had to be written by someone. Who?