President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by MG 2.0 »

I Have Questions wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 10:07 am
Gadianton wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 1:49 am
Imagine if McKay were to tell MG that.
Unless MG is going to accuse Tanner, Nibley, or Prince, of making the whole thing up, then McKay did just tell him that.
In his diaries there isn't anything to support this.

https://mormonstudies.as.virginia.edu/d ... of-Mormon/

He also said that the Book of Mormon was:
"an added witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ"
There is no credible witness such as diary entries, letters, or official minutes—that document McKay expressing disbelief in the Book of Mormon.

He was church president during the time of Thomas Ferguson and the New World Archeological Foundation (I think that is what it was called). There were a number of folks that were disillusioned in regards to Book of Mormon historicity during that time as a result of Ferguson's lack of 'evidence in the dirt'. It wouldn't surprise me that the personal opinions of some intellectuals and the surrounding milieu played a part in third hand speculations as to what David O. Mckay thought...and may have even put words in his mouth.

But again, there is no direct evidence that David O. McKay disbelieved in the Book of Mormon. One would think that in his extensive personal diaries there would be mention of that.

By the way, years ago I read Greg Prince's biography of McKay. Great book.

Regards,
MG
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by Moksha »

MG 2.0 wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 3:41 pm
He was church president during the time of Thomas Ferguson and the New World Archeological Foundation (I think that is what it was called). There were a number of folks that were disillusioned in regards to Book of Mormon historicity during that time as a result of Ferguson's lack of 'evidence in the dirt'.
Regards,
MG
Imagine Ferguson's disappointment at spending more than a decade of his life and not finding even a shard of Nephite pottery. Of course, he did confine his search to Earth One, and he did use the RLDS/FARMS geographical model.
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by Doctor Scratch »

Wow... you have to wonder what the Mopologetic explanation is for this? I assume that they wouldn't care one iota about what this says re: Joseph Smith or President McKay, but this is *devastating* to the Witnesses, and *THAT* is something that they are absolutely obsessed about.
"If, while hoping that everybody else will be honest and so forth, I can personally prosper through unethical and immoral acts without being detected and without risk, why should I not?." --Daniel Peterson, 6/4/14
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by Doctor CamNC4Me »

Everybody Wang Chung wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:08 am
Gadianton wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 1:49 am
Imagine if McKay were to tell MG that.
It would crush MG. It might even drive him back into the comforting arms and solace he once found from a bottle of Snapple Iced Tea.
No. It wouldn’t. Watch it. Post directly to Mental Illness that David O. McKay said that. Watch. Not a chance it makes a dent in his thick nugget.

- Doc
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by MG 2.0 »

Gadianton wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 1:49 am
Imagine if McKay were to tell MG that.
I don't think he would have.

Regards,
MG
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by Everybody Wang Chung »

Doctor Scratch wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:18 pm
Wow... you have to wonder what the Mopologetic explanation is for this? I assume that they wouldn't care one iota about what this says re: Joseph Smith or President McKay, but this is *devastating* to the Witnesses, and *THAT* is something that they are absolutely obsessed about.
Agreed. President McKay completely discounted the Witnesses.
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by Alphus and Omegus »

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:39 pm
Everybody Wang Chung wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:08 am
It would crush MG. It might even drive him back into the comforting arms and solace he once found from a bottle of Snapple Iced Tea.
No. It wouldn’t. Watch it. Post directly to Mental Illness that David O. McKay said that. Watch. Not a chance it makes a dent in his thick nugget.

- Doc
Considering that this is a third-hand account, I don't think it's going to make much of a ripple. It's very possibly true, but given that Nibley is far from prominent nowadays, I think the fact that this book came out years ago but doesn't seem to have caused a splash in the interim suggests that the account isn't going to be regarded as respectable.
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Re: President David O. McKay Believed That Joseph Smith Wrote The Book of Mormon

Post by MG 2.0 »

Alphus and Omegus wrote:
Mon Jun 30, 2025 2:29 am
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:
Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:39 pm
No. It wouldn’t. Watch it. Post directly to Mental Illness that David O. McKay said that. Watch. Not a chance it makes a dent in his thick nugget.

- Doc
Considering that this is a third-hand account, I don't think it's going to make much of a ripple. It's very possibly true, but given that Nibley is far from prominent nowadays, I think the fact that this book came out years ago but doesn't seem to have caused a splash in the interim suggests that the account isn't going to be regarded as respectable.
I agree.

Regards,
MG
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