Presence of others in the Book of Mormon is a no-brainer?

[_Who Knows]

I love reading the TBMs who today say that it's obvious just from reading the Book of Mormon that there were 'others' here in the americas, and that the Book of Mormon demands the LGT.

Kevin Christensen on MAD said (regarding Joseph Smith's hemispheric beliefs):

I personally see reason to suppose that any comment by Joseph Smith or any LDS leader that is inconsitent with the Book of Mormon is anything but one of those moments that D&C 1 says to expect: "inasmuch as they erred, it shall be made manifest..."

So let me get this straight. Joseph Smith - the person probably most intimately familiar with the Book of Mormon, believed in the hemispheric theory (as well as many other early church leaders). Yet somehow, for your average reader today, it's a no brainer that it's LGT, and that there were 'others'?

Gotta be one of the most disingenuous things i hear on a constant basis from TBMs.

[/rant]

[_Infymus]

So let me get this straight. Joseph Smith - the person probably most intimately familiar with the Book of Mormon, believed in the hemispheric theory (as well as many other early church leaders). Yet somehow, for your average reader today, it's a no brainer that it's LGT, and that there were 'others'?

It is actually quite easy. It is because church leaders tell them what to believe. They don't have to think about it.

When the Prophet has spoken, the thinking has been done.

[_karl61]

I agree: you need to get the members into a state of mind that allows different stories. The fact that they contridict the previous weeks stories does not matter if you are in a certain state of mind - believing anything they say as long as the great warm and fuzzie is there.

[_truth dancer]

I personally see reason to suppose that any comment by Joseph Smith or any LDS leader that is inconsitent with the Book of Mormon is anything but one of those moments that D&C 1 says to expect: "inasmuch as they erred, it shall be made manifest..."

Funny... the prophet of the restoration, the prophet who communed with Christ, who was taught by angels, who is to the be judge in heaven of this dispensation; the prophet who restored the priesthood, channeled Christ, translated ancient documents through the Holy Ghost, and met some of the actual characters in the Book of Mormon, is having to be corrected by the folks at FAIR.

This makes me smile.

:-)

Far as I can tell, nothing Joseph Smith said is really inconsistent with the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's ideas were only inconsistent with the theory promoted by the folks at FAIR.

~dancer~

[_The Nehor]

It's a no brainer that it's LGT? Most members don't even know about the debate and most assume a hemispheric model. Most spend their time in the Book of Mormon trying to grow closer to God and find salvation too and consider most of the rest irrelevant.

[_Who Knows]

It's a no brainer that it's LGT? Most members don't even know about the debate and most assume a hemispheric model. Most spend their time in the Book of Mormon trying to grow closer to God and find salvation too and consider most of the rest irrelevant.

Yeah, I should have qualified what I said to only internet tbms. I see it all the time from them.

[_The Nehor]

It's a no brainer that it's LGT? Most members don't even know about the debate and most assume a hemispheric model. Most spend their time in the Book of Mormon trying to grow closer to God and find salvation too and consider most of the rest irrelevant.

Yeah, I should have qualified what I said to only internet tbms. I see it all the time from them.

I am personally undecided.

[_Trevor]

Funny... the prophet of the restoration, the prophet who communed with Christ, who was taught by angels, who is to the be judge in heaven of this dispensation; the prophet who restored the priesthood, channeled Christ, translated ancient documents through the Holy Ghost, and met some of the actual characters in the Book of Mormon, is having to be corrected by the folks at FAIR.

More to the point, he was the guy who claimed to have had contact with Moroni, who showed him this Book of Mormon past.

[_BishopRic]

It's a no brainer that it's LGT? Most members don't even know about the debate and most assume a hemispheric model. Most spend their time in the Book of Mormon trying to grow closer to God and find salvation too and consider most of the rest irrelevant.

I think this is true. The problem comes about when the book is claimed to be accurate history. I could get "closer to God" by studying Cinderella. The story inspires good feelings and what many might call "spirituality." I can do this without the book claiming to be literal history...as I believe most readers of the Book of Mormon do.

It's when the evidence strongly indicates the book was authored by Joseph Smith, and has fictional stories, but most Mormons profess it to be history that we have a problem.

[_aussieguy55]

Watching a doc on the History channell, I learnt that a lot of Indians died from diseases in the San Francisco area from contact with whites who came and settled, especially during the gold rush.. Why would not the same had happened with the group of Nephi and Lehi?