Studying the Book of Mormon 12
“To generalize is to be an idiot” – William Blake
Mormon 5:7; “And it came to pass that we did again take to flight, and those whose flight was swifter than the Lamanites’ did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites’ were swept down and destroyed.”
With those two things in mind, let’s take a quick look at what other people have said and done in history.
389 AD – St. Patrick is born
400 AD – Niall is first man called king of Ireland
405 AD – Jerome completes the Vulgate
410 AD – Visigoths sack Rome
410 AD – trousers are introduced replacing togas and in China stirrups are invented making it easier to ride horses
413 AD – St. Augustine writes City of God
415 AD – Jews are expelled from Alexandria
September 30, 420 AD – Jerome dies peacefully in Bethlehem while working on his commentary of Ezekiel.
February 8, 421 AD – Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of Western Roman Empire
September 2, 421 AD – Constantius III dies
422 AD – The walls of The Colosseum crack during an earthquake
439 AD – Vandals conquer Carthage
These events in fifty years of history around the time of Moroni can be verified with the assurance they surely took place. Names of people, cities they lived in, inventions, and books they may have written can be verified through archaeological evidences or historical events documented through time. (1)
Why is it we can’t find any archaeological evidence from the Book of Mormon? Nothing, and I do mean nothing, has ever been found to authenticate the claims made by Joseph Smith.
The past few months have proven themselves to be an interesting time of discovery during our studies. What we have unearthed hasn’t cast a favorable light on the writings of Joseph Smith.
We’ve found that Nephi and Lehi’s claims of being persecuted by the Jews in Jerusalem in 600 BC were nothing more than a far-fetched story etched in the mind of Joseph Smith.
The probability of the Jaredites actually sailing across the Atlantic in 2200 BC is virtually incalculable and the Tower of Babel story was off by more than a thousand years.
One thing I wish I would’ve done is to count the number of false prophecies, alas; we’ll leave that for another day. Suffice it to say there are more than a few.
Moroni is the last prophet in the line of the Nephites and his book carries the title of his name. In essence he is sharing a letter his father wrote to him of a long drawn out farewell to his son and other Nephites clearly stating he knew no one would see the sacred writings of his forefathers in the centuries to come. It’s just a little too coincidental and convenient.
Smith has set up for himself a fail proof prophecy by trying to prove that he is the appointed one spoken of by Moroni some fourteen hundred years earlier.
The book of Moroni reminded me of a self pity party gone bad. Interspersed with the woe-is-me psyche, the first six chapters are filled with instructions of how to administer the elements, ordination procedures of priests/teachers, baptismal rituals and consequences for sin.
Chapters 6 through 8 are filled with half quotes lifted from the Bible and in chapter 9 we see one of the hallmarks in Smith’s thought process. It is clear after you’ve studied the Mormon religion that it’s been built upon two things. Those two indicating factors are sex and godhood status.
Moroni 9:9;
“…For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue—”
Aside from the racist view of non-whites, this is the most offensive teaching found in the Book of Mormon. How do you deprive someone of being chaste or virtuous? You can’t force someone to lie, nor can you force someone to be an honorable person. The only way one could interpret this verse is to understand your virginity is more important than all other things. You are ruined and worthless in the eyes of God if you’re a victim of rape. This is particularly bad for women in Utah. The rate of rape in Utah is always higher than the national average and it’s been that way for decades now. See our article on vital stats in Utah here http://www.lifeafter.org/stats2008a.asp
Imagine how 33% of the women in Utah feel while sitting in a Sacrament meeting reading that. Good job Mr. Smith.
I cannot understand how any Mormon could find hope for their tired soul anywhere in Moroni, let alone the Book of Mormon. Sadly, we’ve found that Mormons have a voracious appetite in defending this work and I’m left to wonder if they’ve even bothered to read it.
One of the main problems with the Book of Mormon is the glaring lack of a dictionary enabling us to gain a full understanding of Reformed Egyptian.
To complicate matters even further, the teachings from the last two chapters of Moroni don’t correspond with basic tenets found within Mormonism. Grace, the Trinity and final judgment after death are all foreign concepts to the Mormon. It’s obvious these teachings and words have been incorporated into the text to confuse members, making it sound biblical.
The infamous “burning in the bosom” passage is located in Moroni 10:3-5 which boldly contradicts what the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9.
Moroni 10:3-5; “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
Jeremiah 17:9; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Below you’ll find basic statistics about the book of Moroni pointing out errors, false prophecies, grammatical problems, Greek and Latin words in the Book of Mormon and noteworthy teachings.
Think about this while you look at the statistical info below.
If God is perfect, why would he use poor grammar in the Book of Mormon?
If Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God then why did he announce that he used no Greek or Latin words in the Book of Mormon?
If the Book of Mormon is true when it states God is the same from everlasting to everlasting, how do you explain that God was once a man?
If the Nephites truly lived in the fifth century, why were they using phrases from the Bible that was written on a different continent four hundred years earlier?
If you’re a member of the LDS Church, know that we pray for you every single day. My heart is heavy knowing the struggle it is to be a Mormon. I lived that life for 30 years. There are questions that need to be answered about the Book of Mormon and it’s your right to have your questions answered honestly.
If the Book of Mormon doesn’t line up with basic common sense regarding historical, grammatical and biblical investigation then you need to know so that you can make an intelligent decision in what you want to do. Worshipping the wrong god has serious consequences in the hereafter.
With Love in Christ;
Michelle Grim
1 Cor. 1:18
FALSE PROPHECIES
5:2
8:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22
9:4
10:3, 4, 5, 26
Noteworthy teachings
Moroni 5:1 – elements are of wine, not water like the Church serves today
Moroni 6:6 – Wine served in communion – not water
Moroni 7:22 – God is everlasting to everlasting (contradictory to God once being a man)
Moroni 7:26 – saved by faith in God (this is not taught in Mormonism)
Moroni 8:8 – Christ is God, kids can’t sin, Jesus takes away Law of circumcision
Moroni 8:18 – God doesn’t change (contradictory to God once being a man)
Moroni 8:23 – Mockery before God to trust in dead works
Moroni 9:4 – Holy Spirit ceases to strive amongst men
Moroni 9:9 – rape victims are not worthy in God’s eyes (see commentary by Ezra T. Benson in New Era, Jan ’88, pg.4, BYU Devotional of 10/87)
Moroni 10:26 – no need for baptisms for the dead
Moroni 10:29 – Moroni doesn’t lie
Plagiarism
Moroni 6:1, 2, 4, 7 are lifted from Matt. 3:8; Ps. 51:17; Heb. 12:2 and Rev. 3:5 respectively
Compare Moroni 7:1 & 1 Cor. 13:13
Moroni 7:6 and 1 Cor. 13:13
Moroni 7:7 and Romans 4:3
Moroni 7:16 and 1 Cor. 12:7
Moroni 7:17 and Romans 3:12
Moroni 7:18 and Matthew 7:2
Moroni 7:26 and John 16:23; Matthew 21:22
Moroni 7:34 and Acts 2:38
Moroni 7:39 and Hebrews 6:9
Moroni 7:43 and Matt. 11:29
Moroni 7:44 and 1 Cor. 12:3, 13:2
Moroni 7:45 and 1 Cor. 13:4, 5, 6, 7
Moroni 7:46 and 1 Cor. 13:2, 8, 13
Moroni 7:47 (Charity is an old English word for love. It seems odd that Smith would find it necessary to explain this)
Moroni 7:48 and 1 John 3:1, 2, 3
Moroni 8:3 and Acts 4:30
Moroni 8:4 and 1 Cor. 1:11
Moroni 8:6 – chastisement of the people like Paul in Corinthians
Moroni 8:8 and Matt. 9:12-13
Moroni 8:14 and Acts 8:23; 1 Cor. 13:13
Moroni 8:16 and Acts 13:10; Luke 13:3; 1 John 4:18
Moroni 8:26 and John 14:16, 26 (the word Comforter is a Middle English word originating in 1300 AD. Why is this word in the BoM if it wasn’t a word in 421 AD and in the KJV but wasn’t in the Vulgate? – also see our article about Greek and Latin words in the BoM here http://www.lifeafter.org/greeklatin.asp)
Moroni 9:6 and Acts 13:10
Moroni 9:22 and Luke 13:3
Moroni 10:8 and 1 Cor 12:4-7
Moroni 10:9 and 1 Cor. 12:8
Moroni 10:10 and 1 Cor. 12:8
Moroni 10:11 and 1 Cor. 12:9
Moroni 10:12 and 1 Cor. 12:10
Moroni 10:13 and 1 Cor. 12:10
Moroni 10:14 and 1 Cor. 12:10
Moroni 10:15 and 1 Cor. 12:10
Moroni 10:16 and 1 Cor. 12:10
Moroni 10:17 and 1 Cor. 12:11
Moroni 10:19 and Heb. 13:8
Moroni 10:20 and 1 Cor. 13:13
Moroni 10:25 and Romans 3:12
Moroni 10:38 and Zech. 12:10
Moroni 10:31 and Isaiah 52:1
Moroni 10:32 and 2 Cor. 12:9
Moroni 10:34 and Acts 10:42
Grammar Problems
Moroni 1:4; “Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things…”
Moroni 9:24; “…write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee…”
Moroni 10:1; “…and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away…”
Not Inspired
Moroni 1:1; “Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished…”
Moroni 7:1; “And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon…”
Moroni 8:1-2; “An epistle of my father Mormon, written to me, Moroni; and it was written unto me soon after my calling to the ministry. And on this wise did he write unto me, saying: 2 My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you…”
Moroni 9:24; “…write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee…”
Moroni 10:1; “Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites…”
Greek and Latin Words in Moroni
35 words used 250 times
1. http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/DAILYF/2001/09/daily-09-30-2001.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Rome_(410)
http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/year-5th-century-d
http://www.historyworld.net/timesearch
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/421
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