Difference between revisions of "FAIR Study Aids/Gospel Doctrine/Book of Mormon/Lesson One"

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|title=Book of Mormon: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual
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=Lesson 1: "The Keystone of our Religion"=
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'''Disclaimer: The information provided here is a supplement to the lesson manual to assist teachers in addressing issues that might arise in the course of teaching. It is in no way intended to replace or supplant the lesson materials provided by the Church. It is intended only to be used as background information for prior preparation by teachers and should not be used in any way to replace correlated lesson materials.'''
 +
==LDS Lesson Manual==
  
−
==Cain as Bigfoot, or Cain "Translated"==
+
[http://lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-1-the-keystone-of-our-religion?lang=eng Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual - Lesson 1: The Keystone of Our Religion]
  
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==={{Claim label}}===
+
==1. The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of Our Religion==
 +
===Helpful Insights===
 +
*The Keystone of Our Religion: The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion because the essence of our religion is revelation, and the Book of Mormon is tangible evidence that revelation has been received. This is why Terryl Givens calls the Book of Mormon the “sacred sign” of our faith. [{{Book:Givens:By The Hand of Mormon|pages=62-88}}] 
 +
*Witness of Christ: Of the 6,607 verses in the modern editions of the Book of Mormon, 3,925 of them make direct reference to Jesus Christ, an average of 1 reference to Christ every 1.7 verses. [{{Book:Black:Finding Christ|pages=16-18}}]
 +
*Keystone Witness of Christ: If Book of Mormon is true, then the resurrected Christ was seen and touched by thousands of people in ancient America. Thus, Jesus really rose from the dead and the Atonement is real.
 +
*Fullness of Doctrine: The Book of Mormon lays out a six point formula as the “gospel” or “doctrine” of Christ. [{{Book:Welch:Reexploring the Book of Mormon|author=Noel B. Reynolds|article=[http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=71&chapid=841 The Gospel as Taught by Nephite Prophets]}}]
 +
*Keystone in Doctrine: If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet and the doctrines taught in the revelations he received are also true.
 +
*Model for Testimony: The Book of Mormon presents a revolutionary model for revelation as a dialogue that ultimately provides the means for seeking one’s own testimony [{{JBMS-10-2-2}} ]
 +
*Keystone in Testimony: If a person gains a testimony of the BoM, then they also gain a testimony that (1) God exists, (2) Jesus Christ's atonement is real, (3) Joseph Smith was a prophet, and (4) the Church is true. [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/introduction?lang=eng Introduction to the Book of Mormon]
  
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Cain&mdash;son of Adam and Eve and the first murderer&mdash;still walks the earth today.
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===Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information===
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Some critics have said the Book of Mormon teachings of Christ are reflective of Joseph Smith’s environment, rather than an ancient Israelite's environment.
 +
|response=Recent research actually shows that Book of Mormon teachings about the Messiah are consistent with ancient Jewish beliefs.
 +
|link=
 +
*[http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/papers/?paperID=6&chapterID=52 "The Messiah in Barker's Work and Mormon Scripture"] by Kevin Christensen
 +
*[http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2003_Monotheism_Messiah_and_Mormons_Book.html Monotheism, Messiah, and Mormon's Book] by Brant Gardner.
 +
|title=
 +
}}
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=The title page says Jesus Christ is the “Eternal God.” Some critics say this is evidence that Joseph Smith started out as a modalist or Trinitarian.
 +
|authorsources=<br>
 +
#
 +
}}
 +
|link=
 +
* {{FR-13-2-12}}
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|title=
 +
}}
  
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==={{Response label}}===
+
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Some critics complain the Book of Mormon does not contain the “fullness of doctrine” or the “fullness of the gospel” because it is missing distinctive “Mormon” doctrines.
 +
|response=“Gospel” or “doctrine” as used in the Book of Mormon is not meant to be comprehensive.
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/Contains the fulness of the gospel]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Some critics say that praying about the Book of Mormon is not an “objective” means of testing it and that the Bible is the only standard that can or should be used.
 +
|response=This idea is contradicted by the Bible itself.
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/Moroni's promise]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Critics say that “Moroni’s challenge” is circular reasoning. Such critics are actually engaged in some circular reasoning of their own.
 +
|authorsources=<br>
 +
#
 +
}}
 +
|link=
 +
*[http://ldsreasonandrevelation.blogspot.com/2011/04/moroni-103-5-and-truth-of-book-of.html#more "MORONI 10:3-5 AND THE TRUTH OF THE BOOK OF MORMON"]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
  
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Nowhere in scripture, ancient or modern, is it declared that Cain would or did live beyond his mortal years. No mention is made of his death, but we do read of Lamech, Cain’s great-great-great-grandson, who made the same covenant with Satan that Cain did. This covenant is described as being had “from [or since] the days of Cain,” which seems to indicate that Cain was dead by this time. (See {{s||Moses|5|51}}.)
+
===Faith Affirmations===
  
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In any case, the scripture is ambiguous, and so the door is left open for all kinds of speculation about what happened to the man from the land of Nod. And hence began a Mormon urban legend. For what its worth, if an apocryphal source can be trusted at all, the ''Book of Jasher'' does happen to give an account of the death of Cain:
+
==2. Many Witnesses have Testified of the Book of Mormon==
 +
===Helpful Insights===
 +
*Angels and Books: The Joseph Smith story actually fits an ancient pattern where prophets are given a heavenly book or hidden record by an angelic messenger. [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=9&chapid=77] or [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=71&chapid=773]
 +
*In his 2009 General Conference talk, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talked about how Joseph and Hyrum Smith went to their death bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon, a powerful evidence of its divinity. ([http://lds.org/ensign/2009/11/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng ''Ensign''])
 +
*Various witnesses have left behind a description of the plates. [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Translation/Description_of_the_plates]
 +
*Informal Witnesses: In addition to the official Book of Mormon witnesses, some others got to feel the plates while covered or got to see them under special circumstances. ([http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Witnesses/Other_Book_of_Mormon_witnesses Other Book of Mormon Witnesses])
  
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:And Lamech was old and advanced in years, and his eyes were dim that he could not see, and Tubal Cain, his son, was leading him and it was one day that Lamech went into the field and Tubal Cain his son was with him, and whilst they were walking in the field, Cain the son of Adam advanced towards them; for Lamech was very old and could not see much, and Tubal Cain his son was very young. And Tubal Cain told his father to draw his bow, and with the arrows he smote Cain, who was yet far off, and he slew him, for he appeared to them to be an animal. And the arrows entered Cain's body although he was distant from them, and he fell to the ground and died. And the Lord requited Cain's evil according to his wickedness, which he had done to his brother Abel, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken. And it came to pass when Cain had died, that Lamech and Tubal went to see the animal which they had slain, and they saw, and behold Cain their grandfather was fallen dead upon the earth.  (Jasher 2:26-30)
+
===Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information===
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Moroni’s Visit: Critics have attacked the story of Moroni’s visit in various ways.
 +
|authorsources=<br>
 +
#
 +
}}
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Moroni's visit]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Weight of the Plates: Some critics say the plates would have weighed too much to be lifted and carried as Joseph and others claimed.
 +
|response=This assumes the plates were pure gold.  
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book_of_Mormon/Anachronisms/Gold_plates#Of_what_material_were_the_plates.3F|Of what material were the plates?]]
 +
}}
  
−
It is an odd coincidence that in the folklore accounts, Cain appears as some sort of hideous creature, even if he is just a spirit, and in this apocryphal account, his descendants mistook him for an animal. But this is nothing but coincidence. Whatever the case, Cain is definitely dead.
+
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=The Three and Eight Witnesses: Various criticisms have been leveled at the Book of Mormon witnesses.
 +
|response=All of these have been responded to by faithful Latter-day Saints.  
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/Witnesses]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Fraudulent Plates? Some critics suggest that Joseph Smith could have manufactured a fake set of plates.
 +
|authorsources=<br>
 +
#
 +
}}
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/Anachronisms/Gold plates]]
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/Witnesses/Strangite parallels]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
  
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The notion that Cain somehow lived on, survived the Flood, and roams the earth today, is familiar to modern members mostly based on a single claim of David W. Patten supposedly meeting “a very strange personage,” dark and hairy, who “was a wanderer in the earth and and traveled to and fro.” (Thus managing to tie Cain to another popular urban legend: Bigfoot.)
+
===Faith Affirmations===
 +
*Metal Plates: Since the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, numerous examples of writing on metal plates have been unearthed. Here are some examples. [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=19&num=1&id=637] or [http://www.templestudy.com/2011/04/07/authentic-ancient-metal-plates/] or [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Anachronisms/Metal_plates]
 +
*Subscription: This is the ancient Near Eastern practice of placing the title and authorship of a text at the end of the record, rather than the beginning. Interestingly, Joseph Smith said the title page was a translation of the very last of the metal plates. [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=98&chapid=1038]
 +
*Doubled, Sealed, and Witnessed Documents: Joseph Smith and others who saw the plates said that a portion of them were sealed. This is consistent with known legal practices of the ancient Near-East. [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/insights/?vol=21&num=6&id=200] or [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=9&chapid=76]
 +
*Despite leaving the Church, none of the witnesses ever denied their testimony of seeing the plates [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Witnesses/Recant] or [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=41&chapid=181]
  
−
This account was published in a biography of Patten written by Lycurgus Wilson in 1900. Wilson had a letter from Abraham Smoot giving his recollection of what Patten said. In historical parlance this is what is called a late, third-hand account—the sort of thing most historians would dismiss. This kind of testimony is simply unreliable, tainted by the passage of time and the fog of memory.
+
==3. The Book of Mormon was Written for Our Day==
 +
===Helpful Insights===
 +
*The Book of Mormon is An Ancient Book: While the Book of Mormon was indeed written for our, it is important to remember that the Book of Mormon was not written in our day. Brant Gardner has explained it this way:
  
−
The story probably would have been forgotten if then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball hadn’t included it on pages 127–28 of ''The Miracle of Forgiveness''. Elder Kimball’s book has become a staple of Mormon reading, the book that many bishops give to members struggling with sin and many mission presidents assign their missionaries to read.
+
:“It is popular (and theologically appropriate) to claim that the Book of Mormon was written for our day. This statement emphasizes the modern value of the Book of Mormon. It necessarily treats the text ahistorically. Regardless of the value for our day and the obvious fact that it came forth in our day, it was not written in our day, nor in our language, nor in our culture. Even internally, there is little evidence that Mormon conceived of a future people who were significantly different from those he knew.” [{{Book:Gardner:Second Witness|pages=viii|vol=1}}]
  
−
The passage where Kimball quotes Wilson is really unnecessary to the chapter itself, which is about unforgivable sins, including murder. He cites several examples of murderers in the scriptures, beginning with Cain. He then throws in, almost as a passing idea, “an interesting story” about Cain.
+
Thus, it is important not to impose modern standards and expectations on to the record. Of course we still can, and should, “liken” the text to our own lives, but at the same time caution must be taken to remember that “likening” is a tool for practical application, not a method of scriptural exegesis. Understanding this is important because many criticisms against the Book of Mormon rely on modern assumptions about the it, rather than what it actually says.
  
−
Matthew Bowman wrote that Wesley Smith, the brother of President Joseph Fielding Smith, was reportedly also almost attacked by a hideous being.  He rebuked the entity with his priesthood, similar to the Patten story.  He then related the story to President Smith, who naturally identified this character as Cain, basing that identification on the David Patten story.  Even if we give Wesley Smith the benefit of the doubt, and grant that some evil spirit made an appearance, using critical thinking we can surmise that there is no justification for even making that identification of Cain.  Any evil spirit theoretically could appear as a hideous being.  Other folklorish stories are similar in their details.
+
===Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information===
 +
===Faith Affirmations===
  
−
It appears, according to Bowman, that the conflation of the myths of the wandering Cain and Bigfoot started around 1980 with some Bigfoot sightings in South Weber, Utah, and by 1990, those residents were associating their Bigfoot sightings with Cain.  (''Journal of Mormon History'', Fall 2007, "A Mormon Bigfoot: David Patten's Cain and the Conception of Evil in LDS Folklore", pp. 62-82).  An author named Shane Lester has even gone so far as to write a fictional book based on the conflation of these stories called the ''Clan of Cain: The Genesis of Bigfoot.''  However, oddly, Lester made the following claim, referring to the Patten story...
+
==4. The Book of Mormon can Bring us Nearer to God==
 +
===Helpful Insights===
 +
===Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information===
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=“Most Correct Book”: It is claimed that because Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon is the “most correct book” it should be error-free.
 +
|response=These critics are taking this quote out of context. The introduction to the Book of Mormon ''itself'' notes that any mistakes in the book are the "mistakes of men."
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/As the most correct book]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
 +
===== =====
 +
{{ChurchManualCritical
 +
|criticism=Textual Changes: Some critics point to textual changes as evidence of changing theology or covering up mistakes.
 +
|response= Most changes are minor edits to punctuation, spelling, and grammar. The few more significant changes have been examined and discussed by knowledgeable Latter-day Saints.
 +
|link=
 +
*[[Book of Mormon/Textual changes]]
 +
|title=
 +
}}
  
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:A recently uncovered document reveals a possible connection between the origins of the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and Bigfoot.  Searching through the archives of historical church documents the author, Shane Lester, uncovered an extraordinary story that becomes the foundation of a new theory about the origins of Bigfoot. "I uncovered an obscure historical document that sheds new light on the Bigfoot mystery. I used this encounter as the basis for a fictional story that links the mystical, legend of Bigfoot to the origins of Mormonism," says author, Shane Lester ([http://web.archive.org/web/20080609233412/http://www.mormonstoday.com/011207/A2Bigfoot01.shtml])
+
===Faith Affirmations===
  
−
He is he taking credit for "uncovering" some historical document from Church archives, as if the story is news.  The story that he is referring to is unambiguously Elder Patten's story of the encounter with Cain in the first chapter of the book. Lester originally had offered a sneak-peek at that first chapter on his site. ([http://web.archive.org/web/20040701233040/http://clanofcain.com/]}.  But the story about Patten and Cain has been publicly available since Wilson's book on Patten came out in the year 1900 (a century before Lester wrote his book).  Furthermore, the account is anything but obscure.  It is well-known because of President Kimball's book.  He claims the Cain-is-Bigfoot theory is "new" and that it sheds "new light" on Bigfoot.  The theory has been around for several decades now, and it is very unlikely that Lester was the one to originate it. As we just saw in a preceding paragraph, Bowman documented where that came from.  Thus, Lester is making claims that are utterly baseless.  The ''Clan of Cain'' isn't Lester's only book that attempts to link Mormons with occult themes. He also wrote a book on Mormons and a theory linking them to extraterrestrials called ''The Conversion Conspiracy'', which also features LDS folkloric themes.  ([http://www.amazon.com/Conversion-Conspiracy-Shane-Lester/dp/1601453337]).
+
==Additional Information Related to the Introductory Material in the Book of Mormon==
 +
In the Introduction to the Book of Mormon, it says that the Book of Mormon is a “record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas” and that the Lamanites are “among the ancestors of the American Indians.” This opens up a number issues related to Book of Mormon geography, archeology, populations, and modern DNA studies. The following may be helpful to Gospel Doctrine instructors who would like to be prepared should any of these issues arise during their lesson:
 +
*Archeology: It is claimed that archeology contradicts the Book of Mormon. [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Archaeology]
 +
*Geography: Most people assume that the Book of Mormon events spanned across the entire continent. A close reading of the text reveals fairly tight spatial relations. [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Geography/New_World]
 +
*DNA and the Book of Mormon: It is claimed that DNA disproves the Book of Mormon, while some members have claimed that DNA provides evidence for the Book of Mormon. Both claims are incorrect. [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/DNA_evidence]
  
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Why is it that some LDS people give these stories doctrinal credence?  Does that not manifest a measure of gullibility?  Is it only because President Kimball quoted it?  They give Cain some kind of quasi-translated status based on the story alone, without question, as if he is some kind of hideous undead creature akin to a vampire or zombie that can appear and attack people physically. Why is no skepticism applied to the story, and to the new folklore that has arisen around it?  Wasn't Cain a son of perdition, a liar from the beginning?  Would someone believe claims from Mark Hoffman?  Then why should they believe possible words from the mouth of Cain?  As far as can be discerned from the folklore account, Elder Patten did not test Cain by shaking his hand to see if he was truly corporeal. What justification would there be to believe the words of a son of perdition?  It doesn't make sense that any good-thinking person would give those claims credence.
+
The Introduction also mentions that the Book of Mormon was translated "by the gift and power of God." There are several issues related to the translation of the Book of Mormon that may arise. We have prepared several articles which address those topics [http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Translation]
  
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{{Articles Footer 1}} {{Articles Footer 2}} {{Articles Footer 3}} {{Articles Footer 4}} {{Articles Footer 5}} {{Articles Footer 6}} {{Articles Footer 7}} {{Articles Footer 8}} {{Articles Footer 9}} {{Articles Footer 10}}
+
==Additional Information Related to the Translation Process==
 +
Joseph Smith said very little about the translation process - only that it was done "by the gift and power of God." However, there are accounts available from others, which critics have recently put the spotlight on. Brant Gardner discussed this in his 2009 FAIR Conference presentation. [http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2009_Joseph_the_Seer.html]
 +
 
 +
{{SeeAlso|l1=Accounts of translation|Book_of_Mormon/Translation/Method|l2=Chronology (time-line) of the translation|Book_of_Mormon/Translation/Chronology|l3=Description of the plates by witnesses|Book_of_Mormon/Translation/Description_of_the_plates}}

Latest revision as of 14:23, 13 April 2024


FairMormon Study Aids: Gospel Doctrine, Book of Mormon, Lesson One




A FAIR Analysis of:
Book of Mormon: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual
 		Lesson Two

Lesson 1: "The Keystone of our Religion"

Disclaimer: The information provided here is a supplement to the lesson manual to assist teachers in addressing issues that might arise in the course of teaching. It is in no way intended to replace or supplant the lesson materials provided by the Church. It is intended only to be used as background information for prior preparation by teachers and should not be used in any way to replace correlated lesson materials.

LDS Lesson Manual

Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual - Lesson 1: The Keystone of Our Religion

1. The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of Our Religion

Helpful Insights

  • The Keystone of Our Religion: The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion because the essence of our religion is revelation, and the Book of Mormon is tangible evidence that revelation has been received. This is why Terryl Givens calls the Book of Mormon the “sacred sign” of our faith. [Terryl L. Givens, By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 62-88. ISBN 019513818X. ISBN 0195168887.]
  • Witness of Christ: Of the 6,607 verses in the modern editions of the Book of Mormon, 3,925 of them make direct reference to Jesus Christ, an average of 1 reference to Christ every 1.7 verses. [Susan Easton Black, Finding Christ through the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1987), 16-18.]
  • Keystone Witness of Christ: If Book of Mormon is true, then the resurrected Christ was seen and touched by thousands of people in ancient America. Thus, Jesus really rose from the dead and the Atonement is real.
  • Fullness of Doctrine: The Book of Mormon lays out a six point formula as the “gospel” or “doctrine” of Christ. [Noel B. Reynolds, "The Gospel as Taught by Nephite Prophets," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, edited by John W. Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1992).]
  • Keystone in Doctrine: If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet and the doctrines taught in the revelations he received are also true.
  • Model for Testimony: The Book of Mormon presents a revolutionary model for revelation as a dialogue that ultimately provides the means for seeking one’s own testimony [Terryl L. Givens, "The Book of Mormon and Dialogic Revelation," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10/2 (2001). [16–27] link ]
  • Keystone in Testimony: If a person gains a testimony of the BoM, then they also gain a testimony that (1) God exists, (2) Jesus Christ's atonement is real, (3) Joseph Smith was a prophet, and (4) the Church is true. Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Some critics have said the Book of Mormon teachings of Christ are reflective of Joseph Smith’s environment, rather than an ancient Israelite's environment.

Response
Recent research actually shows that Book of Mormon teachings about the Messiah are consistent with ancient Jewish beliefs.
For more information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
The title page says Jesus Christ is the “Eternal God.” Some critics say this is evidence that Joseph Smith started out as a modalist or Trinitarian. Source(s)
{{{sources}}}


|link=

  • Ari D. Bruening and David L. Paulsen, "The Development of the Mormon Understanding of God: Early Mormon Modalism and Other Myths (Review of: Mormonism and the Nature of God: A Theological Evolution)," FARMS Review of Books 13/2 (2001): 109–169. off-site

|title= }}

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Some critics complain the Book of Mormon does not contain the “fullness of doctrine” or the “fullness of the gospel” because it is missing distinctive “Mormon” doctrines.

Response
“Gospel” or “doctrine” as used in the Book of Mormon is not meant to be comprehensive.
For more information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Some critics say that praying about the Book of Mormon is not an “objective” means of testing it and that the Bible is the only standard that can or should be used.

Response
This idea is contradicted by the Bible itself.
For more information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Critics say that “Moroni’s challenge” is circular reasoning. Such critics are actually engaged in some circular reasoning of their own. Source(s)
{{{sources}}}


|link=

|title= }}

Faith Affirmations

2. Many Witnesses have Testified of the Book of Mormon

Helpful Insights

  • Angels and Books: The Joseph Smith story actually fits an ancient pattern where prophets are given a heavenly book or hidden record by an angelic messenger. [1] or [2]
  • In his 2009 General Conference talk, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talked about how Joseph and Hyrum Smith went to their death bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon, a powerful evidence of its divinity. (Ensign)
  • Various witnesses have left behind a description of the plates. [3]
  • Informal Witnesses: In addition to the official Book of Mormon witnesses, some others got to feel the plates while covered or got to see them under special circumstances. (Other Book of Mormon Witnesses)

Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Moroni’s Visit: Critics have attacked the story of Moroni’s visit in various ways. Source(s)
{{{sources}}}


|link=

|title= }}

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Weight of the Plates: Some critics say the plates would have weighed too much to be lifted and carried as Joseph and others claimed.

Response
This assumes the plates were pure gold.
For more information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
The Three and Eight Witnesses: Various criticisms have been leveled at the Book of Mormon witnesses.

Response
All of these have been responded to by faithful Latter-day Saints.
For more information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Fraudulent Plates? Some critics suggest that Joseph Smith could have manufactured a fake set of plates. Source(s)
{{{sources}}}


|link=

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Faith Affirmations

  • Metal Plates: Since the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, numerous examples of writing on metal plates have been unearthed. Here are some examples. [4] or [5] or [6]
  • Subscription: This is the ancient Near Eastern practice of placing the title and authorship of a text at the end of the record, rather than the beginning. Interestingly, Joseph Smith said the title page was a translation of the very last of the metal plates. [7]
  • Doubled, Sealed, and Witnessed Documents: Joseph Smith and others who saw the plates said that a portion of them were sealed. This is consistent with known legal practices of the ancient Near-East. [8] or [9]
  • Despite leaving the Church, none of the witnesses ever denied their testimony of seeing the plates [10] or [11]

3. The Book of Mormon was Written for Our Day

Helpful Insights

  • The Book of Mormon is An Ancient Book: While the Book of Mormon was indeed written for our, it is important to remember that the Book of Mormon was not written in our day. Brant Gardner has explained it this way:
“It is popular (and theologically appropriate) to claim that the Book of Mormon was written for our day. This statement emphasizes the modern value of the Book of Mormon. It necessarily treats the text ahistorically. Regardless of the value for our day and the obvious fact that it came forth in our day, it was not written in our day, nor in our language, nor in our culture. Even internally, there is little evidence that Mormon conceived of a future people who were significantly different from those he knew.” [Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 Vols. (Salt Lake City, UT: Greg Kofford Books, 2007), 1:viii.]

Thus, it is important not to impose modern standards and expectations on to the record. Of course we still can, and should, “liken” the text to our own lives, but at the same time caution must be taken to remember that “likening” is a tool for practical application, not a method of scriptural exegesis. Understanding this is important because many criticisms against the Book of Mormon rely on modern assumptions about the it, rather than what it actually says.

Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information

Faith Affirmations

4. The Book of Mormon can Bring us Nearer to God

Helpful Insights

Potential Criticisms and Faithful Information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
“Most Correct Book”: It is claimed that because Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon is the “most correct book” it should be error-free.

Response
These critics are taking this quote out of context. The introduction to the Book of Mormon itself notes that any mistakes in the book are the "mistakes of men."
For more information

Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Textual Changes: Some critics point to textual changes as evidence of changing theology or covering up mistakes.

Response
Most changes are minor edits to punctuation, spelling, and grammar. The few more significant changes have been examined and discussed by knowledgeable Latter-day Saints.
For more information

Faith Affirmations

Additional Information Related to the Introductory Material in the Book of Mormon

In the Introduction to the Book of Mormon, it says that the Book of Mormon is a “record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas” and that the Lamanites are “among the ancestors of the American Indians.” This opens up a number issues related to Book of Mormon geography, archeology, populations, and modern DNA studies. The following may be helpful to Gospel Doctrine instructors who would like to be prepared should any of these issues arise during their lesson:

  • Archeology: It is claimed that archeology contradicts the Book of Mormon. [12]
  • Geography: Most people assume that the Book of Mormon events spanned across the entire continent. A close reading of the text reveals fairly tight spatial relations. [13]
  • DNA and the Book of Mormon: It is claimed that DNA disproves the Book of Mormon, while some members have claimed that DNA provides evidence for the Book of Mormon. Both claims are incorrect. [14]

The Introduction also mentions that the Book of Mormon was translated "by the gift and power of God." There are several issues related to the translation of the Book of Mormon that may arise. We have prepared several articles which address those topics [15]

Additional Information Related to the Translation Process

Joseph Smith said very little about the translation process - only that it was done "by the gift and power of God." However, there are accounts available from others, which critics have recently put the spotlight on. Brant Gardner discussed this in his 2009 FAIR Conference presentation. [16]

See also: Accounts of translation, Chronology (time-line) of the translation, and Description of the plates by witnesses
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