Difference between revisions of "Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 7"

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*1 Nephi 11:21 was changed from "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father"  to "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father."
 
*1 Nephi 11:21 was changed from "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father"  to "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father."
 
*1 Nephi 11:32 was changed from "the Everlasting God" to "the Son of the everlasting God."
 
*1 Nephi 11:32 was changed from "the Everlasting God" to "the Son of the everlasting God."
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*Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 32 and 1 Nephi 13:40.
 
*Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 32 and 1 Nephi 13:40.
 
*Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 25 and 1 Nephi 11:18
 
*Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 25 and 1 Nephi 11:18

Revision as of 09:39, 1 November 2014

  1. REDIRECTTemplate:Test3

Contents

Response to claims made in "Chapter 7: The Godhead"


Chapter 6
A FAIR Analysis of:
The Changing World of Mormonism
A work by author: Jerald and Sandra Tanner
 Chapter 8

172

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon teaches that God is a spirit.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

173

Claim
  • The Book of Moses says that God created the earth, but the Book of Abraham says that "the Gods" created the earth.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response
  •  Author(s) impose(s) own fundamentalism on the Saints
  • "God" may be properly spoken of as one in some senses, and as plural in other senses.
  • Are Mormons polytheists?

177

Claim
  • God is "just an exalted man."

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response
  •  Prejudicial or loaded language: The Saints do not believe that God is "just" anything. The word "just" shows the authors' biases, and their predetermined conclusion that the creedal view of God is automatically "better."
  • Nature of God/Deification of man

178

Claim
  • There is a "Heavenly Mother."

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

180

Claim
  • Jesus Christ was conceived through a physical act rather than by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response
  •  Prejudicial or loaded language
  •  The author's claim is false: LDS scripture teaches that Jesus was conceived when Mary "was carried away in the Spirit" (1 Nephi 11꞉19). We know of no details beyond this, save that God the Father was Jesus' literal Father; there is nothing allegorical about Jesus' parentage.
  • Jesus Christ/Conception

183

The author(s) make(s) the following claim:


  • 1 Nephi 13:40 was changed from "Christ is the Eternal Father" to "the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world."
  • 1 Nephi 11:18 was changed from "the mother of God" to "the mother of the Son of God"
  • 1 Nephi 11:21 was changed from "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father" to "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father."
  • 1 Nephi 11:32 was changed from "the Everlasting God" to "the Son of the everlasting God."

    Author's sources:

  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 32 and 1 Nephi 13:40.
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 25 and 1 Nephi 11:18
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 26 and 1 Nephi 11:21
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 26 and 1 Nephi 11:32

FAIR's Response

Question: What changes were made to the 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon?

Among the changes Joseph Smith made are these four in 1 Nephi 11 and 13

The earliest edition of the Book of Mormon referred to Jesus as "God." Joseph Smith later changed some, but not all, of these to "the Son of God." It is claimed by some that this is evidence that Joseph Smith changed the Book of Mormon to conform to his changing beliefs about the Trinity, claiming that Joseph was originally a solid Trinitarian (perhaps even a Modalist), and as he later began to teach that the Father and Son were two separate beings, he had to change the Book of Mormon to support his new doctrine. However, this change was a deliberate editorial insertion by Joseph Smith to clarify four verses in 1 Nephi.

The second edition of the Book of Mormon was published in 1837 at Kirtland, Ohio. The typesetting and printing were done during the winter of 1836–37, with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery taking an active part in the editing process.

In this edition numerous corrections were made to the text of the 1830 (first) edition to bring it back to the reading in the original and printer's manuscripts. Joseph Smith also made a number of editorial changes to the text, as was his right as the translator of the text.

Among the changes he made are these four in 1 Nephi 11 and 13:

  Original manuscript Printer's manuscript 1830 edition 1837 edition
1 Nephi 11:18 behold the virgin which thou seest is the Mother of god after the manner of the flesh behold the virgin which <whom> thou seest is the Mother of <the son of> God after the manner of the flesh Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh. Behold, the virgin whom thou seest, is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
1 Nephi 11:21 & the angel said unto me behold the lam of god yea even the eternal father knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw & the Angel said unto me behold the Lamb of God yea even the <God> Father knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
1 Nephi 11:32 & it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again saying look and i lookt & beheld the lam of god that he was taken By the People yea the ever lasting god was judgd of the world and i saw & bare record & it came to pass that the Angel spake unto me again saying look & I looked & behold the Lamb of God that he was taken by the People yea the everlasting God was Judged of the world & I saw &amp bear record And it came to pass the angel spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God, was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. And it came to pass the angel spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the Everlasting God, was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
1 Nephi 13:40 (Not extant.) & the Angel spake unto me saying these last records which thou hast seen among the Gentiles shall establish the truth of the first which is <which are> of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb & shall make known the plain & precious things which have been taken away from them & shall make known unto all Kindreds Tongues & People that the Lamb of God is the <the son of> eternal Father & the saviour of the world & that all men must Come unto him or they cannot be saved And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which is of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain the precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Saviour of the world; and that all men must come unto Him, or they cannot be saved; And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain the precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Saviour of the world; and that all men must come unto Him, or they cannot be saved;

(The strikeouts and <insertions> in the printer's manuscript are in Joseph's hand, and were added by him during the preparation of the 1837 edition.)


185

Claim
  • The Lectures on Faith state that God is a spirit.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

185

Claim
  • The Lectures on Faith were removed from the Doctrine and Covenants.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

187

Claim
  • The Book of Mormon teaches that God is "unchangable," but LDS leaders taught otherwise.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

188

Claim
  • The Lectures on Faith indicate that there are only two personages in the Godhead, and that their mind is the Holy Spirit.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

190

Claim
  • LDS leaders can't explain why the Holy Ghost should be denied a body since the Father has one.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

190

Claim
  • The Holy Ghost can't be a God since he doesn't have a body.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response

191

Claim
  • During the First Vision, Joseph learned that the Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bones.

Author's source(s)
  •  [ATTENTION!]
Response
  •  History unclear or in error: It is not clear when Joseph learned that the Father and Son had physical bodies.
  • The First Vision taught Joseph that body was "incorporated"—i.e., he had form and some location in physical space. But it is not clear that Joseph immediately understood that this corporeality was made of flesh and bone (e.g., he could have been seeing 'spirit bodies' which still have form and location, but not flesh and bone.)
  • Corporeality of God
  • Joseph Smith's early concept of God
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