KEP Dictation Argument: The Evidence

[_Trevor]

Will just called Trevor spineless, in Celestial of all places.

Yes, Will is having his usual meltdown. That tends to happen when he can't support his arguments and demands praise from his audience anyway.

I thought that was odd. And I really couldn't understand why. I mean, I have been preoccupied with maklelan's notion of the dictation of a prepared manuscript, which, homoioteleuton or no, simply does not make sense. Or, at least, unless it can be shown that this was the kind of thing Smith et al. did when transmitting revelations and translations, it has little to recommend it.

If anything, I have tentatively decided that it has to be transcription or dictation, but it is unlikely to have been mak's Franken-transmission of the dictated manuscript.

[_Kevin Graham]

Well, Will takes pride in his list, racking up academics who support his crazy theses, and he was insulted that you, an academic, weren't convinced.

Logically, that makes you spineless. Right? ;)

I mean it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that only BYU academics are backing him up.

[_Trevor]

The following scenario seems to be the most probable. The scribe writes "whereunto" and is then instructed to strike it out. The scribe dips his pen in the ink since a strikeout is usually done with great emphasis. The scribe strikes it out by drawing two sawtooth shaped lines through "whereunto." The strike out lines have much more pronounced down strokes than upstrokes. After the last strikeout line was drawn, the scribe continues the dictation at "unto" without dipping his pen in ink again. Thus, the ink tone and volume in the last strokes of the strikeout are the same as the word "unto."

Seems reasonable to me, dblagent007.

[_Trevor]

Well, Will takes pride in his list, racking up academics who support his crazy theses, and he was insulted that you, an academic, weren't convinced.

Logically, that makes you spineless. Right? ;)

I mean it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that only BYU academics are backing him up.

Well, frankly, I don't even know why I should feel insulted by this because it is really all so silly. First of all, I am a historian, not a text critic. Second, I have never closely examined the KEP. So, I readily admit that I could be absolutely wrong about everything. I see this as something of recreational interest. If anything, I am mostly surprised by the almost laughable behavior of maklelan and Will. It didn't take long to figure out, unfortunately, that maklelan acts like this as a matter of regular practice, and, well, we all know Will.

So, yeah, I will say some stuff. It could be right; it could be wrong. I am not overly invested in this at all. Let the best theory win, I say. But watching these two guys bluster around and get all church-lady is like watching the frustrated middle-aged, wish-I-had-played-college-ball elder taking a church tournament too seriously while I am out to have fun. He's throwing elbows and we are laughing and shaking our heads.

If these guys want to get serious, they should quit playing games with their arguments and evidence. I am tired of hearing about conditions, questions, withheld arguments, and forthcoming evidence. I think Chris Smith is probably taking the right approach here. Wait until they actually come out with something we can really look at instead of enduring all of this pussy-footing around and coyness.

I'll be serious when they start behaving like people who should be taken seriously.

[_Droopy]

We won't be bullied into believing BS here...

The irony of this statement is of such a magnitude that nothing, or at least very little I could say could render its rib tickling value any more obvious than it already is in its pure, unalloyed form.

[_schreech]

We won't be bullied into believing BS here...

The irony of this statement is of such a magnitude that nothing, or at least very little I could say could render its rib tickling value any more obvious than it already is in its pure, unalloyed form.

You really are incapable of typing a post without consulting your "word of the day" calendar, aren't you? You seem very insecure...

by the way kevin, fantastic OP...thanks for the work.

[_Joseph]

Mr. Graham, it is clear you believe Joseph Smith lied and the Church is wrong in saying he translated the Book of Abraham from the egyptian scrolls that he bought with the mummies.

What church will you join next?

[_Kevin Graham]

The thread isn't about me. I haven't looked for another Church, and probably won't anytime soon.

[_Nomad]

Well, Will takes pride in his list, racking up academics who support his crazy theses, and he was insulted that you, an academic, weren't convinced.

Logically, that makes you spineless. Right? ;)

I mean it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that only BYU academics are backing him up.

Well, frankly, I don't even know why I should feel insulted by this because it is really all so silly. First of all, I am a historian, not a text critic. Second, I have never closely examined the KEP. So, I readily admit that I could be absolutely wrong about everything. I see this as something of recreational interest. If anything, I am mostly surprised by the almost laughable behavior of maklelan and Will. It didn't take long to figure out, unfortunately, that maklelan acts like this as a matter of regular practice, and, well, we all know Will.

So, yeah, I will say some stuff. It could be right; it could be wrong. I am not overly invested in this at all. Let the best theory win, I say. But watching these two guys bluster around and get all church-lady is like watching the frustrated middle-aged, wish-I-had-played-college-ball elder taking a church tournament too seriously while I am out to have fun. He's throwing elbows and we are laughing and shaking our heads.

If these guys want to get serious, they should quit playing games with their arguments and evidence. I am tired of hearing about conditions, questions, withheld arguments, and forthcoming evidence. I think Chris Smith is probably taking the right approach here. Wait until they actually come out with something we can really look at instead of enduring all of this pussy-footing around and coyness.

I'll be serious when they start behaving like people who should be taken seriously.

Man! Sometimes I read your posts and I find myself wondering what thread you've been reading! Is it really possible for someone to be so deliberately blind to the strongest arguments and evidence? I guess it is here in Wonderland.

[_Kevin Graham]

Strong arguments according to whom?

Once this question is answered honestly, it kinda puts a damper on the whole "strong argument" claim to begin with.

Just settle down children, this will all be settled soon enough. ;)