Joseph Smith, what did he do?

[_Polygamy Porter]

When America is sick and tired of crime, violence, drugs, and broken homes, it will turn to the Book of Mormon, so Joseph Smith's "influence" is yet to be fully recognised.

You MUST be drinking Foster's again.

The Book of Mormon is FULL of broken homes, crime, and violence.

The view you have of the USA is upside down mate.

America has never and will never look to the that silly fictional novel for advice.

Then why was it ranked number three among the eleven best selling books of all time?

10 Bestselling Books of All Time

Rank Book Approximate sales
1 Bible 6,000,000,000
2 Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-tung 800,000,000
3 Book of Mormon 100,000,000+
4 American Spelling Book, Noah Webster 100,000,000
5 The Guiness Book of Records * 80,000,000
6 The McGuffey Readers 60,000,000
7 A Message to Garcia, Elbert Hubbard 40 - 50,000,000
8 World Almanac * over 40,000,000
9 The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, Benjamin Spock over 39,200,000
10 Valley for the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann 30,000,000
11 In His Steps: "What Would Jesus Do?", Charles Monroe Sheldon 28,500,000

http://www.adherents.com/adh_influbooks.html

YOU, Porter, are the one living in your little angry exmo DELUSION!

And I know what you're coming with next, because I read angry exmos like an open book.

100 Million sold? If the Mormons give one away is it counted as sold?

[_Ray A]

If the Mormons give one away is it counted as sold?

PP, you are SO original! LOL. Actually, when I joined the Church the Book of Mormon costed 50 cents! Drat, and had I held on for a few more years I could have gotten it for nothing! Thieves! "Best selling" does not necessarily apply to books sold for money. You can get free Bibles by simply ringing 09879587456320987. But don't trust me, try the number.

[_Polygamy Porter]

If the Mormons give one away is it counted as sold?

PP, you are SO original! LOL. Actually, when I joined the Church the Book of Mormon costed 50 cents! Drat, and had I held on for a few more years I could have gotten it for nothing! Thieves! "Best selling" does not necessarily apply to books sold for money. You can get free Bibles by simply ringing 09879587456320987. But don't trust me, try the number.

Good point.

So that 100 million means NOTHING.

The Book of Mormon is the most ignored book ever given away. YAWN.

[_barrelomonkeys]

Okay. Here's the problem I'm having with the Book of Mormon conversation. How can Joseph Smith be credited with this by LDS? Didn't God hold the key to the Book of Mormon? Wasn't Joseph just the scribe? I don't understand this... For me it would be like crediting those who wrote the Bible for the Bible. Does that make any sense? Of course I have a very limited understanding of Christianity... but it doesn't make sense to say something is of God and then credit a man for it. Capiche?

I don't want to worship or praise any man for communicating with God. That doesn't fly with me... I've been thinking about this most of the night. I'm struggling with my own faith. I have met local LDS, which are really great people, and they (like ALL of the other Churches around here) seem to be family focused and have a great faith.... my issue is the praise of the Man. I don't want to praise him... I want to know God. If Joseph Smith helps me to know God I would be grateful... but I don't think he should be part of the equation when it comes to praise.

I believe that there could be continuing revelation... but I have no idea why God would choose just guys (is this correct) and they'd pass it on to the rest of us. I'm having some difficulty with that.

Anyway. Consensus... he built the Church. I wouldn't stack him up against many historical figures. Someone mentioned him on the list of 100 Americans. Jesus isn't even on that list. :)

[_Gazelam]

Joseph Smith is talked about so much because he is the dispensation head.

In Moses's time you would talk about all he did to make possible the beliefs all of the Israelites hold. When Moses took the people to Sinai, the purpose was to get them all on top of the mountain so that they could experience all of the same things he did. Joseph Smith was no different.

Prophets are chosen because of their ability to excercise strngth of will and character in living after a manner that the Holy Ghost can bless and inspire them to lead others. There is nothing Joseph Smith, or Moses, or Christ did that we ourselves cannot do. (Well, we can't work out the atonement, but we can have a mount of transfiguration experience if we live worthy enough)

Joseph Smith offers a window for us to see Christ through, so that we can better emulate the Savior. that's why we have hymns like "Praise to the man".

[_barrelomonkeys]

Joseph Smith is talked about so much because he is the dispensation head.

In Moses's time you would talk about all he did to make possible the beliefs all of the Israelites hold. When Moses took the people to Sinai, the purpose was to get them all on top of the mountain so that they could experience all of the same things he did. Joseph Smith was no different.

Prophets are chosen because of their ability to excercise strngth of will and character in living after a manner that the Holy Ghost can bless and inspire them to lead others. There is nothing Joseph Smith, or Moses, or Christ did that we ourselves cannot do. (Well, we can't work out the atonement, but we can have a mount of transfiguration experience if we live worthy enough)

Joseph Smith offers a window for us to see Christ through, so that we can better emulate the Savior. that's why we have hymns like "Praise to the man".

I suppose since I'm not a Christian this seems awkward to me. I hope I'm not being too honest and direct this morning. What I type is in no way meant to disparage anyone's beliefs. I only had about 3 hours of sleep last night. My 2 year old decided he didn't want to sleep. Oh joy. He's snoozing right now though. Tired!

I changed my tag line because I understand that things foreign to us are always treated suspect... I don't want to fall into the trap of being against something just because it is different than my personal norm.