Book of Mormon Intro - "Principal Ancestors" wording changed

[_LifeOnaPlate]

I am happy to see the adjustment.

[_rcrocket]

I know what the word "principal" means.

Sure, you can interpret it to mean whatever you like, I guess. But do you know what the person who wrote it intended it to mean?

No.

But I can look in a dictionary and see what the word means. I'll go with that.

If only it were that simple...

by the way, I think you're gay.

Look it up in the dictionary and tell me what I mean when I say that.

"Principal" is not slang for anything. Principal means more than anything else, the most significant among lesser.

[_LifeOnaPlate]

Man, you'd think it's Christmas come early with this discovery.

[_Mercury]

A few points:

1. The Lamanites are, indeed, the principal ancestors of the Indians. And I know what the word "principal" means.

2. We don't know why the Doubleday edition was changed. Could be that some of the LGT theorists, of which I am not one, are having their way with editorial content of non-canonical material. So what? It could very well be that Doubleday has employed a consultant for this project who has no official Church sanction. The official publication has not changed.

3. If the intro does, indeed change, again I ask, so what? At least one of the brethren agree with the LGT theory; it doesn't matter to most.l

rcrocket

Lets interpret bobs words:
1. lamanites == american indians
2. We don't know why it was changed, probably those meddling LGT apologists. I'm ignoring the fact that Doubleday and the church went prancing down publishers lane, hand in hand acting really gay as doubleday then gave birth to the turd that is the "popular" version of the Book of Mormon.
3. All this does not matter as I eat this s*** up no matter what in order to justify belief in elohim the space god, magic underwear and joe the con man.

[_Who Knows]

by the way, I think you're gay.

Look it up in the dictionary and tell me what I mean when I say that.

"Principal" is not slang for anything. Principal means more than anything else, the most significant among lesser.

So what? Gay isn't slang for anything either.

You're missing the point here. Simply looking up in a dictionary what a word means, doesn't necessarily tell you what was intended with the word. You have to look at it in context. And we have it for the 'principal ancestors' phrase.

What do you have to support your definition? Nothing, other than your own interpretation.

But you can carry on in denial if you like. Hey, at least charity has some company now. lol.

[_Trevor]

There is one bright spot in all of the shuffling around to avoid Bruce R. McConkie's interpretation. Obviously, come LDS people continue to be uncomfortable with BRM's interpretations of their religion. He may have promoted them as authoritative, but clearly people like charity and rcrocket would prefer to reinterpret them to mean something else. As I generally regret McConkie's past success in pushing his views on numerous unsuspecting members of the Church, I take this as a positive sign, even if it is in this case motivated by an apologetic dance around the bleeding obvious.

[_rcrocket]

I don't get it. You think that "lamanites = Indians" is not what BRM intended? That is what he intended, and that is what I believe is the case.

rcrocket

[_Trevor]

I don't get it. You think that "lamanites = Indians" is not what BRM intended? That is what he intended, and that is what I believe is the case.

Is this for me or someone else?

[_Yoda]

"Principal" is not slang for anything. Principal means more than anything else, the most significant among lesser.

Exactly!

So why would the Church choose to change the statement in the intro from "principal" to "among"?

Doesn't principal make more sense?

I don't understand why there is a need for a change. It does change the meaning signficantly.

[_charity]

Are you this stupid? I doubt it. What is it that makes you so unwilling to accept the standard definition of a word and the fact that there was a drastic change made to the "market test" version of the Book of Mormon?

It does not matter how many times you say it, it still does not make it true. You are wrong, wr are right. Concede or continue to appear like an ignorant vinegary shill.

Okay, merc. Here is the dictionary.com definition of the word "principal."

1. first or highest in rank, importance, value, etc.; chief; foremost.
2. of, of the nature of, or constituting principal or capital: a principal investment.
3. Geometry. (of an axis of a conic) passing through the foci.
–noun 4. a chief or head.
5. the head or director of a school or, esp. in England, a college.
6. a person who takes a leading part in any activity, as a play; chief actor or doer.
7. the first player of a division of instruments in an orchestra (excepting the leader of the first violins).
8. something of principal or chief importance.
9. Law. a. a person who authorizes another, as an agent, to represent him or her.
b. a person directly responsible for a crime, either as an actual perpetrator or as an abettor present at its commission.
10. a person primarily liable for an obligation, in contrast with an endorser, or the like.
11. the main body of an estate, or the like, as distinguished from income.
12. Finance. a capital sum, as distinguished from interest or profit.
13. Music. a. an organ stop.
b. the subject of a fugue.
14. (in a framed structure) a member, as a truss, upon which adjacent or similar members depend for support or reinforcement.
15. each of the combatants in a duel, as distinguished from the seconds.


Okay, now, merc, eat your words. The very first definition says what I have been saying all along. MOST IMPORTANT!

Maybe next time, before you make an argument you should check it out and see if the argument flies.