DiscussMormonism.com

Does anyone know Ray--the man behind this website? I think he did a really nice job setting forth the evidence for a 19th century origin of the Book of Mormon. Anyone know of other good sources on this issue (I know mormonthink has some stuff and Grant Palmer's book. Anything else?)

http://www.osaywhatistruth.com/book%20of%20mormon.htm

How can one read this and believe in Book of Mormon historicity?

By having examined many of these "anomalies" previously and finding out they're not really anomalies at all or not as catastrophic as claimed or that the claim against has not accounted for all reasonable possibilities, etc.

The funny part about the criticism is the fact the Book of Mormon IS a 19th century creation. It was translated by a 19th century man using his knowledge of scriptural language and to the best of his abilities. It was NOT translated by God and given to a 19th century man (which is the unstated assumption here). The whole argument is a complete joke because it argues that a 19th century man should not produce a 19th century work. Why on Earth would that make any sense?!? Are we to suspend any reasonable determination by jumping to the assumption that it would not be exactly as it appears? And who made that determination?

The Book of Mormon is historical and inspired of God because God says so. That is the true test and all honest, humble seekers of God follow that prescribed course. All others will do what they want and mock the things of God anyway.

Tobin wrote:The funny part about the criticism is the fact the Book of Mormon IS a 19th century creation. It was translated by a 19th century man using his knowledge of scriptural language and to the best of his abilities. It was NOT translated by God and given to a 19th century man (which is the unstated assumption here).

How strange, then, that those close associates of the 19th century man in question who gave accounts of how the Book of Mormon text was delivered state that it was delivered to Smith already translated and ready to dictate.

Tobin wrote:...
The Book of Mormon is historical and inspired of God because God says so. That is the true test and all honest, humble seekers of God follow that prescribed course. All others will do what they want and mock the things of God anyway.

No, I would never mock someone who has probably suffered an episode of temporal lobe epilepsy while doing something bad with somebody else in a locked apartment, leading to the irrational conviction that he had received a visitation from a deity.