Is the Book of Mormon Divinely Inspired?

[malkie]

The same thing seems to hold true with the Book of Mormon as with the founding prophet:

Ha! You have delusions of grandeur!

Most of the world has heard of neither Joseph Smith nor Mormons. Mention either term in countries like China, India, Pakistan, or Iran, and you’ll almost certainly get a blank stare. Even in the places outside of the West where the word ‘Mormon’ is known, it often comes with the misconception that we’re still a bearded, hat-wearing, polygamist sect in long, black coats.

For better or worse, few people know or care about poor, brother Joseph. And to be honest, why should they? Mormons had an enormous impact on the settlement of the American West. The tiny religion’s impact on the rest of the world? Meh.

Ahhh, but people who watch Cheers! may remember that we can't give flowers

[Marcus]

One might expect that in regards to having to deal with her husband taking plural wives.

Why might one expect her to lie about her husband taking plural wives?

Bumped again.

[MG 2.0]

Why might one expect her to lie about her husband taking plural wives?

Bumped again.

I really can’t definitively say. I would say that it might be one or more of the following:

There are several reasons why Emma Smith may have lied about Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy:

* Personal embarrassment: Emma may have been embarrassed or ashamed of Joseph's practice of polygamy, and may have felt the need to deny it in order to protect her own reputation and that of her family.

* Fear of persecution: Polygamy was illegal in the United States at the time, and acknowledging that Joseph practiced it could have put Emma and her family in danger of legal and social consequences.

* Desire to protect Joseph's legacy: Emma may have felt that acknowledging Joseph's polygamy would tarnish his reputation and legacy, and may have lied about it in order to preserve his image as a prophet and religious leader.

* Conflicting emotions: Emma's feelings towards polygamy were likely complex and conflicted, and she may have struggled to reconcile her own beliefs and values with Joseph's practice of polygamy.

-Pi A.I.

For each one of us as we look at Emma we have to determine what her motivations were and whether or not they were overpowering enough to cover up the truth in one instance while telling the truth in another. As I’ve said before, I am wary of making blanket statements in situations like this. The fact is, she wasn’t a liar in every situation and in everything throughout her whole life.

We have evidence of her good works and loving kindness to those around her. She was respected.

The question is her basic goodness and her basic tendency to tell the truth. I wouldn’t doubt that from what we know of Emma, and Joseph’s feelings towards her, that she was a good and decent woman.

She may have been telling the truth about the plates and the translation process. She in most respects agrees with the other witnesses.

Earlier I exited this thread. Unless there is an overwhelming purpose/reason for me to continue on this thread I believe I’ve made my case. I realize that others, of course, will disagree.

That’s OK.

Regards,
MG

[Morley]

Bumped again.

I really can’t definitively say. I would say that it might be one or more of the following:

There are several reasons why Emma Smith may have lied about Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy:

* Personal embarrassment: Emma may have been embarrassed or ashamed of Joseph's practice of polygamy, and may have felt the need to deny it in order to protect her own reputation and that of her family.

* Fear of persecution: Polygamy was illegal in the United States at the time, and acknowledging that Joseph practiced it could have put Emma and her family in danger of legal and social consequences.

* Desire to protect Joseph's legacy: Emma may have felt that acknowledging Joseph's polygamy would tarnish his reputation and legacy, and may have lied about it in order to preserve his image as a prophet and religious leader.

* Conflicting emotions: Emma's feelings towards polygamy were likely complex and conflicted, and she may have struggled to reconcile her own beliefs and values with Joseph's practice of polygamy.

-Pi A.I.

For each one of us as we look at Emma we have to determine what her motivations were and whether or not they were overpowering enough to cover up the truth in one instance while telling the truth in another. As I’ve said before, I am wary of making blanket statements in situations like this. The fact is, she wasn’t a liar in every situation and in everything throughout her whole life.

We have evidence of her good works and loving kindness to those around her. She was respected.

The question is her basic goodness and her basic tendency to tell the truth. I wouldn’t doubt that from what we know of Emma, and Joseph’s feelings towards her, that she was a good and decent woman.

She may have been telling the truth about the plates and the translation process. She in most respects agrees with the other witnesses.

Earlier I exited this thread. Unless there is an overwhelming purpose/reason for me to continue on this thread I believe I’ve made my case. I realize that others, of course, will disagree.

That’s OK.

Regards,
MG

Every reason that your chatbot gave for Emma lying about polygamy could be adapted as reasons that she lied about the plates. Wouldn’t you agree?

[Marcus]

...Earlier I exited this thread...

You're back!!

...As I’ve said before, I am wary of making blanket statements in situations like this...

I understand. For example, one would be wary of making blanket statements about the B of M witnesses also, right?

[MG 2.0]

I really can’t definitively say. I would say that it might be one or more of the following:



For each one of us as we look at Emma we have to determine what her motivations were and whether or not they were overpowering enough to cover up the truth in one instance while telling the truth in another. As I’ve said before, I am wary of making blanket statements in situations like this. The fact is, she wasn’t a liar in every situation and in everything throughout her whole life.

We have evidence of her good works and loving kindness to those around her. She was respected.

The question is her basic goodness and her basic tendency to tell the truth. I wouldn’t doubt that from what we know of Emma, and Joseph’s feelings towards her, that she was a good and decent woman.

She may have been telling the truth about the plates and the translation process. She in most respects agrees with the other witnesses.

Earlier I exited this thread. Unless there is an overwhelming purpose/reason for me to continue on this thread I believe I’ve made my case. I realize that others, of course, will disagree.

That’s OK.

Regards,
MG

Every reason that your chatbot gave for Emma lying about polygamy could be adapted as reasons that she lied about the plates. Wouldn’t you agree?

Not necessarily. There may have been other factors that are involved besides simply presupposing that once=twice.

Many of the same reasons that might have motivated Emma Smith to lie about polygamy could potentially apply to her statements about the Book of Mormon translation and the gold plates. However, there are a few additional factors to consider that might suggest that she was telling the truth in this case:

* Consistency with other witnesses: While Emma Smith is the only witness who claimed to have felt the plates through a cloth, several other witnesses claimed to have seen the plates directly. If Emma was lying about the plates, she would have needed to coordinate her story with these other witnesses, which would have been difficult to do.

* Lack of motive: Unlike with polygamy, it's less clear what Emma might have gained by lying about the plates. If she was aware that Joseph was making up the story of the plates, she would have had little reason to go along with it, given the potential consequences.

* Emma's initial skepticism: According to some accounts, Emma was initially skeptical of Joseph's claims about the gold plates and the Book of Mormon translation. If she had been inclined to lie about the plates, it seems unlikely that she would have expressed skepticism early on.

* Emma's role as scribe: Emma served as a scribe for Joseph during the translation process, which means that she would have had a firsthand view of how the translation was taking place. If Joseph had been making up the story of the plates, it seems unlikely that Emma would have been able to observe the translation process and still maintain the lie.

* Consistency with other accounts: Emma's account of the translation process is generally consistent with other accounts from witnesses who observed the process, such as Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris.

-Pi A.I.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

...Earlier I exited this thread...

You're back!!

...As I’ve said before, I am wary of making blanket statements in situations like this...

I understand. For example, one would be wary of making blanket statements about the B of M witnesses also, right?

Sure. One should look at all the evidence available before making any judgement call. The problem is that some folks already have certain biases and presuppositions that may get in the way of the ‘God Factor’.

Regards,
MG

[Marcus]

Every reason that your chatbot gave for Emma lying about polygamy could be adapted as reasons that she lied about the plates. Wouldn’t you agree?

[A.I. prompted response deleted]

Please give your own response, not an A.I. response.

[MG 2.0]

[A.I. prompted response deleted]

Please give your own response, not an A.I. response.

I more or less agree with the A.I. response. Saves a LOT of time. If there is something you take issue with, please feel free to do so rather than getting hung up on non essentials.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

Here are some reasons to consider that Emma Smith was telling the truth about the Book of Mormon translation and the gold plates:

* Firsthand experience: Emma Smith served as a scribe for her husband during the translation process, which means she had a unique perspective on how the translation was actually carried out. Her firsthand account should be given weight in assessing the validity of the translation process.

* Risk of perjury: In 1879, Emma Smith testified under oath that she had felt the plates through a cloth and that her husband had translated them by the power of God. Lying under oath would have put her at risk of perjury charges, which suggests that she believed she was telling the truth.

* Lack of incentive: Unlike the issue of polygamy, Emma Smith had little to gain by lying about the gold plates. If she believed the plates were a fabrication, she could have simply refused to participate in the translation process or even exposed the deception.

* Consistency over time: Emma Smith maintained her testimony about the plates and the translation process for the rest of her life, even after she left the LDS Church and joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now known as Community of Christ). This consistency suggests that she genuinely believed her account.

* Lack of evidence of deception: While there have been many theories about how Joseph Smith might have fabricated the gold plates, there is no compelling evidence that he did so. In fact, many of the details of the translation process that Emma described are corroborated by other witnesses and historical sources.

* Personal character: While Emma Smith was not without flaws or biases, she was generally regarded as a person of integrity and honesty. There is no clear reason to suspect that she was lying about her experience with the gold plates.

-Pi A.I.

Regards,
MG