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Hello beautiful people!

I was sitting in a truck with my nevermo boss driving out to a dam site in 2001. He point blank asks me, "So, how did Joseph Smith write the Book of Mormon?" I reply, "He translated it from an ancient record, engraved on gold plates." He then asked, "So, where are these gold plates?"

I was suddenly very uncomfortable with this question. Why didn't anyone ask me this on my mission? Well, I suppose everyone wonders this, but maybe they didn't want to ask me.

I told him that an angel came and took the plates away.

Even while I said those words, I could feel how silly it sounded. I was pretty embarrassed about it, to be honest. He responded with, "Oh..." Silence filled the air for another 15 minutes of our drive until he finally changed the subject.

I have often reflected on this situation since then. As a TBM, I felt a little guilty that I didn't answer his questions the right way. According to what I believed at the time, the Spirit should have guided me to say the right things and make him feel it is truth. Chalked up to more evidence that I didn't have the Spirit with me like I should have. Likely some sexual sin of my past...

The problem was, it doesn't matter how you say it. This issue of the gold plates disappearing is simply a real downer on the Spirit.

Have a Wonderful day!

Zee.

Zeezrom wrote:I was suddenly very uncomfortable with this question. Why didn't anyone ask me this on my mission? Well, I suppose everyone wonders this, but maybe they didn't want to ask me.

I told him that an angel came and took the plates away.

Even while I said those words, I could feel how silly it sounded. I was pretty embarrassed about it, to be honest. He responded with, "Oh..." Silence filled the air for another 15 minutes of our drive until he finally changed the subject.

This reminds me of the times I tried to explain the priesthood ban to non-believers. There is just no way to explain it that doesn't sound racist. I still cringe to think that I tried to rationalize or justify it.

zeezrom wrote:Hello beautiful people!

I was sitting in a truck with my nevermo boss driving out to a dam site in 2001. He point blank asks me, "So, how did Joseph Smith write the Book of Mormon?" I reply, "He translated it from an ancient record, engraved on gold plates." He then asked, "So, where are these gold plates?"

I was suddenly very uncomfortable with this question. Why didn't anyone ask me this on my mission? Well, I suppose everyone wonders this, but maybe they didn't want to ask me.

I told him that an angel came and took the plates away.

Even while I said those words, I could feel how silly it sounded. I was pretty embarrassed about it, to be honest. He responded with, "Oh..." Silence filled the air for another 15 minutes of our drive until he finally changed the subject.

I have often reflected on this situation since then. As a TBM, I felt a little guilty that I didn't answer his questions the right way. According to what I believed at the time, the Spirit should have guided me to say the right things and make him feel it is truth. Chalked up to more evidence that I didn't have the Spirit with me like I should have. Likely some sexual sin of my past...

The problem was, it doesn't matter how you say it. This issue of the gold plates disappearing is simply a real downer on the Spirit.

Have a Wonderful day!

Zee.

I got asked about that on my mission, and I felt pretty silly about the answer that an angel took them away. I also felt silly when I told people that Peter, James and John came down and gave Joseph the M. priesthood. I believed those things, but as I opened my mouth to actually say them, they sounded like tall tales in my mouth.

zeezrom wrote:He responded with, "Oh..."

He said "Oh" but what he was thinking was "I hired this guy?"

DarkHelmet wrote:

zeezrom wrote:He responded with, "Oh..."

He said "Oh" but what he was thinking was "I hired this guy?"

LOL, yeah.

zeezrom wrote:I told him that an angel came and took the plates away.

I sheepishly admit that I was 19 before I found out that the church didn't have them in its possession in a vault or on display somewhere.

I might have mentioned that there are no original Bible mss either.

bcspace wrote:I might have mentioned that there are no original Bible mss either.

Of course: nothing in the handwriting of Paul, Luke, Jeremiah, Nahum or any of them ...

But there are quite enough ancient MSS to convince us that the Bible was not made up in the 19th century, unlike the Book of Mormon. Even opponents of Christianity have no problem with that ...

bcspace wrote:I might have mentioned that there are no original Bible mss either.

An irrelevant observation when you think about it.

I think BC is even a little ashamed to go there...