DiscussMormonism.com

I designed this thread for defenders who wish to counter any claims made on Tarski's thread, and also to add their own positive aspects of the Church.

Critics---this is a defenders' thread. The same rules apply to this thread that apply to Tarski's thread.

This is meant as more of a counter-summary thread.

Bump.

*crickets chirping*

FAIR wiki answer to the Jacob 2 polygamy criticism:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Mormonism_and_ ... e_practice

The answer to the more damning Article on Marriage which was passed by the body of the church:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Mormonism_and_ ... s_polygamy

FAIRwiki answer to Facsimile 2. The page is still under construction and therefore doesn't even present a defense:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Abraha ... acsimile_2

FAIRwiki reply to the Greek Psalter criticism:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/T ... ek_psalter

FAIR on Fanny Alger and the lack of sealing keys (excerpt from a work in progress on plural marriage):

http://en.fairmormon.org/Polygamy_book/ ... l_marriage

FAIR on the Lost 116 pages:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon ... _116_pages

Personally I find the answers to criticisms found on FAIR to be often more damaging than the criticism itself. :-D

http://mormondiscussions.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17727&p=440080#p440080

thews wrote:To date, I have not had one single Mormon apologist willing to just admit that it was in fact Joseph Smith who made the translation of the Kinderhook plates to tell of the descendant of Ham. The reason they cannot is simple... because it proves Joseph Smith was a fraud who lied about translating things. What needs to be thrown under the bus here is both actual Mormon history from the history of the church, and the integrity of William Clayton. One could answer the question honestly without diversion, or one could tuck tail and plead ignorance

Based on the available evidence I don't see why anyone would admit that Joseph Smith made any official translation of the Kinderhook plates. Not because they would cast doubt upon his prophetic calling but that there are too many unanswered questions surrounding the circumstances of the events.

With the delay in confession what were the real motives for Mr. Wiley and co. at the time of the supposed hoax? Were they hoping to get Joseph to buy the plates as he had purchased the Book of Abraham papyrus?

Why didn't Joseph Smith offer to buy the plates? Why wasn't he more interested in the plates? It seems the newspaper reports of the events were more interested in the relationship between the Book of Mormon and the Kinderhook plates than the Prophet himself.

I don't mean to divert from the question as I agree with you concerning the inclusion of this strange event in the history of the church. The truth is that it is an event that was noted for historic purposes. It may have been looked upon at the time as faith promoting by William Clayton. It seems as such. William Clayton maybe guilty of sensationalizing the event living in such exciting times as those were. Many people have been guilty of the same thing.