What Troubles You the Most in Mormon History?

[sock puppet]

1-Is it the obvious 19th Century authorship of the Book of Mormon? (including the complete lack of archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon stories)

2-The changing, evolving accounts of the First Vision?

3-That Joseph Smith, Jr. had sex in the barn with Fanny Alger (years before the alleged polygamy revelation)?

4-That Joseph Smith, Jr. had at least 34 wives, and was 'sealed' to some before even to Emma, his first and only legal wife?

5-That the Kirtland Egyptian Papers shows Joseph Smith, Jr. and scribes were trying to translate characters from 1967 recovered Sensen Papyrus into English that became the opening part of the Book of Abraham, but those 'translations' don't correlate linguistically?

6-The changes to the Egyptian images (which Smith dubbed Facsimiles) found with the Chandler mummies and Explanations not being accurate, linguistically or otherwise?

Or is it something else? For me, ##5 and 6 were the catalyst. Numbers 1-4 and other matters, icing on the cake.

Let us all know what your shelf just couldn't hold.

[Fence Sitter]

The lengths that purported prophets and apostles of "God" went to/are still going to whitewash that history.

[huckelberry]

1-Is it the obvious 19th Century authorship of the Book of Mormon? (including the complete lack of archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon stories)

2-The changing, evolving accounts of the First Vision?

3-That Joseph Smith, Jr. had sex in the barn with Fanny Alger (years before the alleged polygamy revelation)?

4-That Joseph Smith, Jr. had at least 34 wives, and was 'sealed' to some before even to Emma, his first and only legal wife?

5-That the Kirtland Egyptian Papers shows Joseph Smith, Jr. and scribes were trying to translate characters from 1967 recovered Sensen Papyrus into English that became the opening part of the Book of Abraham, but those 'translations' don't correlate linguistically?

6-The changes to the Egyptian images (which Smith dubbed Facsimiles) found with the Chandler mummies and Explanations not being accurate, linguistically or otherwise?

Or is it something else? For me, ##5 and 6 were the catalyst. Numbers 1-4 and other matters, icing on the cake.

Let us all know what your shelf just couldn't hold.

Hi Sockpuppet. Of your list it was almost entirely number one. I was unaware of two five and six. I was aware of polygamy but not the large numbers for Joseph Smith. At that time Fanny fell into the gray area of church denial such as with treasure hunting. Those denials left an area of instability. I also had uncertainties about Mormon views of authority and theology, how much of which led to John Birch represented a problem in my mind.

At least to my mind the problems of the Book of Mormon appeared more clear cut so was the key deciding factor I think. Or maybe I felt a need to explore.

[drumdude]

Number 1 weighed the hardest on me as a new convert. I felt tricked, like a Scientologist being told about the history of Xenu.

It’s simply not possible for an educated person (without a preexisting bias) to believe in a historical Book of Mormon. There are no non-Mormon archeologists who believe the book is historical. That’s not because they’re biased, it’s because there’s as much evidence for its historicity as there is for Xenu.

So being a faithful believer was very difficult when everyone else is so ignorant about basic historical truths.

[bbbbbbb]

I would say it is the person and work of Joseph Smith, which has been used to subvert the person and work of Jesus Christ.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Mormonism is one of the most, if not the most, easily falsifiable religions in the world. You really don't need to look any further than the Book of Mormon. It's clearly a poor 19th century creation.

Joseph Smith was a horrible sexual predator who manipulated vulnerable teenage women into marrying and having sex with him. Joseph Smith was not a good person. He was not called of God. It all hinges on him and he failed us all. He was a horrible sexual predator and I am ashamed I ever idolized him. And, God forbid if any woman rebuffed Joseph Smith's advances. Nancy Rigdon, Sarah Pratt, and Martha Brotherton all saw their reputations sullied by Joseph. Joseph labeled Sarah a 'whore from her mother's breast.' Martha was branded a 'mean harlot' while Nancy was called a 'poor miserable girl out of the very slough of prostitution.'

Praise to the man!

[drumdude]

Mormonism is one of the most, if not the most, easily falsifiable religions in the world. You really don't need to look any further than the Book of Mormon. It's clearly a poor 19th century creation.

Joseph Smith was a horrible sexual predator who manipulated vulnerable teenage women into marrying and having sex with him. Joseph Smith was not a good person. He was not called of God. It all hinges on him and he failed us all. He was a horrible sexual predator and I am ashamed I ever idolized him. And, God forbid if any woman rebuffed Joseph Smith's advances. Nancy Rigdon, Sarah Pratt, and Martha Brotherton all saw their reputations sullied by Joseph. Joseph labeled Sarah a 'whore from her mother's breast.' Martha was branded a 'mean harlot' while Nancy was called a 'poor miserable girl out of the very slough of prostitution.'

Praise to the man!

And then to be followed up with Brigham Young. It’s like Christian God really wants everyone to know Mormon God is false.

[Philo Sofee]

1-Is it the obvious 19th Century authorship of the Book of Mormon? (including the complete lack of archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon stories)

2-The changing, evolving accounts of the First Vision?

3-That Joseph Smith, Jr. had sex in the barn with Fanny Alger (years before the alleged polygamy revelation)?

4-That Joseph Smith, Jr. had at least 34 wives, and was 'sealed' to some before even to Emma, his first and only legal wife?

5-That the Kirtland Egyptian Papers shows Joseph Smith, Jr. and scribes were trying to translate characters from 1967 recovered Sensen Papyrus into English that became the opening part of the Book of Abraham, but those 'translations' don't correlate linguistically?

6-The changes to the Egyptian images (which Smith dubbed Facsimiles) found with the Chandler mummies and Explanations not being accurate, linguistically or otherwise?

Or is it something else? For me, ##5 and 6 were the catalyst. Numbers 1-4 and other matters, icing on the cake.

Let us all know what your shelf just couldn't hold.

Numbers 1 - 6..........

[Morley]

One of the things that bothered me was the racism. There was no explaining it away. Racism was (and is) woven like a golden thread into fabric and doctrine of the Church.

The one third "less valiant" in the War in Heaven. A postdiluvian Egyptus passing on the curse of Cain and black skin, so that the devil could be represented after the flood. The Book of Mormon's incantation of "white and delightsome." The introduction of slavery into the Utah Territory. The utterances of every prophet from Brigham Young to Spencer Kimball.

Before the end of the priesthood ban, if you accepted the truth of the LDS Church, you had to also accept that God was a racist prick.

These days, post-priesthood bad, you have several choices. You can accept that God a was once racist prick, but the US Civil Rights movement changed him. Or you can say that God wasn't talking to his prophets because race didn't matter that much, yet. Or perhaps, you can go with God was indeed talking to his prophets, but they were too [insert idiot excuse here] to hear him.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

One of the things that bothered me was the racism. There was no explaining it away. Racism was (and is) woven like a golden thread into fabric and doctrine of the Church.

The one third "less valiant" in the War in Heaven. A postdiluvian Egyptus passing on the curse of Cain and black skin, so that the devil could be represented after the flood. The Book of Mormon's incantation of "white and delightsome." The introduction of slavery into the Utah Territory. The utterances of every prophet from Brigham Young to Spencer Kimball.

Before the end of the priesthood ban, if you accepted the truth of the LDS Church, you had to also accept that God was a racist prick.

These days, post-priesthood bad, you have several choices. You can accept that God a was once racist prick, but the US Civil Rights movement changed him. Or you can say that God wasn't talking to his prophets because race didn't matter that much, yet. Or perhaps, you can go with God was indeed talking to his prophets, but they were too [insert idiot excuse here] to hear him.

Morley, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.