LDS Scholar says J S "Skillfully wove" Bible texts into Book of Mormon

[_Philo Sofee]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mormon/comment ... testament/

Now THIS is fascinating! Skillfully wove the biblical texts throughout the Book of Mormon?! Not just the large chunks of Isaiah, but in many areas of the Book of Mormon we have biblical materials. The discussion here is awesome, even though its just started. This changes a LOT of apologetic explanation through the years.

[_The Dude]

Skillfully woven

A magical phrase that allows one to admit that the Book of Mormon is essentially plagarized, while derailing discussion down the rabbit hole of how the Book of Mormon was produced, i.e. nobody saw him anywhere near a Bible during those fateful days of "translation". How did he pull off this magic trick in the view of so many wise and impeccable witnesses?

Yes, but the Book of Mormon is essentially a ripoff of the Bible.

Skillfully woven my ass.

[_Dr Moore]

It is awe inspiring to me, every time I begin to dig into the many verse fragments and key phrases of the KJV that appear in the Book of Mormon. It’s a work of fine art, worthy of praise, whether one believes the literal non fiction, divine fiction, or pious fraud theory of its production.

Then consider the skillful weaving of Biblical content alongside the vast amount of contemporary 19th century material - themes, sermons, hymns, doctrinal debates, contemporary Indian origin myths. Rational analysis of the fact base does lead to a legitimate “genius” explanation that is simultaneously impossible to prove, impossible to disprove, and impossible to ignore.

People who say “Joseph couldn’t have written it” must deliberately overlook the data from known human history:
(a) geniuses do exist, and in fact are not extremely uncommon - they walk among us, in all walks of life
(b) their gifts vary widely, as do their interests and passions - chess, math, art, writing, spirituality, science, sports, etc etc etc
(c) they are frequently born into otherwise unremarkable families - no correlation is yet found to predict genius from DNA
(d) there are clues from Joseph’s history suggesting unique abilities and yes, even brilliance, in addition to his unique background driving keen interest in foundational themes of the restoration and of the Book of Mormon, from a young age
(e) all of what Joseph produced and accomplished can be explained as a self-selecting outcome for the right kind of religiously motivated genius. At least as easily explained as the current LDS prophetic narrative, complete with all of its messy ins and outs.

[_Dr Exiled]

Ya'll have it all wrong. There was a ghost committee, perhaps on Mars or perhaps Kolob, but this ghost committee inspired a 15th century author (maybe Tyndale?) to use the Bible to create the Book of Mormon in the old Early Modern English language. It must be so because some Early Modern English was found in the book after an intense session of staring into the sun by Skousen and Stanford Carmack. Robert Smith knows and it's glorious to his eyes.

[_Lemmie]

Yes, Joseph Smith was a genius-level scam artist, a brilliant con-man, and extraordinarily gifted at duping his fellow humans, especially when it came to sexually harassing women and getting away with it, to the deep chagrin of his wife. What a set of skills to admire!

The Dude:


Skillfully woven

A magical phrase that allows one to admit that the Book of Mormon is essentially plagarized....

Skillfully woven my ass.

Exactly.

[_kairos]

I would bet my "first born" that Smith handed OC the Bible and told OC to copy Isaiah down on the manuscript paper.
Joesph to OC: "i need a sex break, copy those chapters of Isaiah that i marked with the yellow post-its and i will see you in a couple of days".

better explanations??

k

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Ya'll have it all wrong. There was a ghost committee, perhaps on Mars or perhaps Kolob, but this ghost committee inspired a 15th century author (maybe Tyndale?) to use the Bible to create the Book of Mormon in the old Early Modern English .

This is actually what Clark Goble insinuated when we had a little back and forth, although it wasn't really directed at me; it was more or less him musing. It was astonishing.

- Doc

[_Dr Exiled]

Ya'll have it all wrong. There was a ghost committee, perhaps on Mars or perhaps Kolob, but this ghost committee inspired a 15th century author (maybe Tyndale?) to use the Bible to create the Book of Mormon in the old Early Modern English .

This is actually what Clark Goble insinuated when we had a little back and forth, although it wasn't really directed at me; it was more or less him musing. It was astonishing.

- Doc

Really? In my exchanges with him over at MD&D he took a stance against the Early Modern English theory. Or at least he provided some pushback. He and Physics Guy wondered if the Early Modern English allegedly found wasn't simply part of Joseph Smith's backwoods dialect. Clark thought perhaps legal transcripts from the NY area at the time would also contain the same archaic structures that Carmack was so excited about. Not surprisingly, Carmack wasn't too enthusiastic about doing the research Clark suggested.

Here is an exchange between Clark and Physic's Guy I just found:

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/71061-skousen-carmack-lecture-take-aways/page/8/?tab=comments#comment-1209865225

[_Fence Sitter]

The argument that Joseph Smith didn't have a Bible in front of him during the creation process of the Book of Mormon because there is no contemporary accounts of one being there is DOA.

We have no accounts of Joseph Smith having Clarke's Commentary in front of him when he 'revised' the Bible to create the JST but we know he did.

It would not surprise me that the "skillful weaving" of the Bible in the Book of Mormon turns out to be more Clarke's Commentary plagiarism also.

[_fetchface]

One man's skillful weaving is another man's stupid blunder.

When Joseph placed quotes from the long ending of Mark (certainly a late scribal addition), was that skillful weaving or a stupid blunder?

I'm going with "stupid blunder."