How the Book of Mormon was translated...

[_jon]

Right through my youth and even up to the present day, the translation process is depicted as Joseph Smith studying the plates and using the Urim & Thummim spectacles.
Sadly, this is not how it was translated.

Elder Russell M. Nelson said, "The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known. Yet we do have a few precious insights." (Ensign, July 1993, p. 62.) Then he quoted from David Whitmer's 1887 account in which Joseph Smith "would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat...."

So why does the Church continue to allow the myth to be perpetrated within it's lessons and manuals?

[_LDS truthseeker]

So why does the Church continue to allow the myth to be perpetrated within it's lessons and manuals?

I ask myself the same thing - especially when many apologists say that the church isn't hiding anything and blame the artists that made the images.

I can only guess that the truth would be too devastating to many members. It would lead to unwanted discussion on the matter. Of course investigators would never join the church if they saw missionaries whip out a slide that had Joseph translating the Book of Mormon with his face in a hat.

Also disturbing is that the gold plates, as well as the spectacle urim & thummim, preserved for thousands of years but were never used to translate the Book of Mormon we have today. One wonders why the Nephites made the plates to begin with.

[_Joseph]

Since it is from the imagination of joseph smith, it does not matter what story he made up about how it was done other than to fill out the theatrical setting used to fool those who saw the plates.

[_Uncle Dale]

...
I can only guess that the truth would be too devastating to many members. It would lead to unwanted discussion on the matter. Of course investigators would never join the church if they saw missionaries whip out a slide that had Joseph translating the Book of Mormon with his face in a hat.
...

I suppose that the same missionary problem would occur
if they were passing out reading material showing Smith
wearing the ancient Nephite breastplate, and peering
through over-sized magical spectacles.



Those sorts of images did not bother our ancestors in
the Church -- but today they are problematic.

Probably the most truthful depiction of those 1820s
events would be one in which no "translation" is even
referred to -- and Smith simply produces the text
without reference to any preserved record.

Will the Mormons of 2050 have relegated the gold plates
to the dustbin of fanciful history? Perhaps so -- but I
cannot envision exactly how that more honest message
can be developed out of the present day situation.

UD

[_MCB]

Probably the most truthful depiction of those 1820s
events would be one in which no "translation" is even
referred to -- and Smith simply produces the text
without reference to any preserved record.

Will the Mormons of 2050 have relegated the gold plates
to the dustbin of fanciful history? Perhaps so -- but I
cannot envision exactly how that more honest message
can be developed out of the present day situation.

Yeah, as well developed as the mythology is, it is nearly impossible chuck it all and simply claim divinely inspired automatic writing.

If ya' gotta lie, just keep it as close to the truth as possible. Simple lesson, but one that they just hadn't learned yet.

[_Uncle Dale]

...
simply claim divinely inspired automatic writing.
...

I've seen this approach tried among the RLDS -- and, more recently
by the Community of Christ leaders. It more or less works with that
group of Saints. They are not so interested in historical Nephites
as they are in reading a "more plain and perfect" Gospel.

How a fabricated "translation" process for a Smith-written book
leads to a gospel of Truth and Divine salvation is a bit hard to see.

Admitting to such a historical process would be rather like
admitting that our grandfather was a horse thief, but told very
good stories to help make all his kids exceptionally honest folks.

Still -- I suppose that the Bible stories might be cited -- wherein
The Almighty even made use of the heathen Assyrian army to
bring to pass parts of the great plan of salvation...

Bottom line ---> There was NO Book of Mormon "translation."

UD

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Since this is the upper forum I will be on my best behavior.

I have been told countless times by both chapel Mormons and apologists that the translation method and whether it actually occurred does not matter.

What I have been told is what matters is if the story made your life better.

I did not make mine better, worse in fact.

If it makes your life better, great good for you, run with it.

[_Joseph]

I have been told countless times by both chapel Mormons and apologists that the translation method and whether it actually occurred does not matter.

*************************************

If it is not based on truth, they are right. It does not matter.

But, why the century and more of lies?

[_moksha]

Didn't Lady Gaga wear one of these? Might have assisted in her interplanetary appeal.

[_thews]

Lots of data here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11896

To include this which was erased from MADB:

What are the reasons the church does not accurately show how the translation took place?

Here are three reasons:

1) Most members don't know much about Church history.

2) Mormon artists and their editors are pretty representative, in this sense, of the general membership.

3) Artistic representations of historical events are often quite inaccurate, in and out of the Church.