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Difference between revisions of "Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods"
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Sometimes authors of Church related historical works apply twenty-first century values to 19th century people. This section documents such instances in this work. | Sometimes authors of Church related historical works apply twenty-first century values to 19th century people. This section documents such instances in this work. | ||
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Revision as of 20:10, 16 January 2009
A FAIR Analysis of: 'One Nation Under Gods' A work by author: Richard Abanes
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About this work
- Overview—Index of claims—Use of sources—Loaded and prejudicial language—Absurd claims—Presentism—Mind reading—Rewording secondary sources—Sarcasm
Notable and quotable
[T]o be honest, your FAIR analysis of the hardbound is actually hurting you in some very interesting ways -- and you don't even know it. Suffice it to say, I have been enjoying the many times I've had the pleasure of point out to lots of Mormons (many of them now former Mormons) where FAIR has not been completely honest, and where FAIR has shown itself to be terrifically nit-picky and petty. I thank you.
—The author, commenting on FAIR's analysis of this work. Post to MADB, Nov. 21, 2008
...what ONUG [One Nation Under Gods] did was to provide needed information to non-Mormons, evangelicals, secularists, and from what I hear, even many Mormons (many of whom, thanks to ONUG, are no longer Mormons).
—The author, commenting on the value of his book. Post to MADB, Dec. 7, 2008
Well, all I can say is, I combat the errors of the ages. I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth—diamond truth; and God is my 'right hand man.' God made Aaron to be the mouth piece for the children of Israel, and He will make me be god to you in His stead...I have more to boast of than ever any man had....I boast that no man ever did such a work as I.
Oh, wait, all of that material has been already used. Sorry. Nevermind. Sorry, my bad.
—The author, using a compound quote that he created from multiple sources in One Nation Under Gods to ridicule Joseph Smith, Post to MADB, Dec. 4, 2008]
Unlike most men, however, Jesus did not need these wives, nor temple rituals to become a god. He became a god before coming to earth through perfect obedience to Elohim's commands. For others the road to godhood is far more difficult and takes considerably longer.
—The author, stating that Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ took the easier road to godhood. One Nation Under Gods, p. 288
Overview
In early 2002 a new book entitled One Nation under Gods (ONUG) appeared on bookshelves, promising to tell the "real" history of the Mormon Church. In the words of its author,
It is beyond legitimate dispute that the Mormon church has for decades been painting for the general public a decidedly biased picture of the Latter-day Saint faith, especially with regard to the origins of the Book of Mormon. Fortunately, a more objective sketch of Mormonism's earliest years can be drawn using non-LDS witnesses, secular media articles, and private journals (Mormon and non-Mormon).
All of these sources will be used in this book to discover how Mormonism's founder—Joseph Smith—formed, controlled, and expanded his church, which today is one of the wealthiest and most influential religions in the world. [ONUG, xvi]
With his thesis stated and his purpose laid bare, the author attempts to pull disparate sources together to paint a picture that, when compared to objective reality, more closely resembles a Picasso than a Rembrandt—skewed and distorted—obscuring and maligning the actual doctrines and beliefs as understood and practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than 150 years.
Claims made in this work
It should be noted that the author's response to the list of problems documented by FAIR is that the editing on the hardback edition of One Nation Under Gods was incomplete and that many of the problems were corrected in the paperback edition, published a year later. (This corrected paperback edition bears no markings indicating that it is a second edition or an updated edition; it simply appears as a paperback edition of the original.) Despite the author's statements, many of the problems noted exist in both the hardback and paperback versions. This review primarily treats the paperback edition of this work, with references to corrections made by the author to the hardback edition.
This is an index of claims made in this work with links to corresponding responses within the FAIRwiki. An effort has been made to provide the author's original sources where possible.
Source analysis
This section performs a detailed analysis of the use of selected sources by this work.
Loaded and prejudicial language
There are many instances in this work which employ loaded or prejudicial language in order to lead the reader to a specific conclusion. A number of instances of this practice are documented in this section.
Absurd claims
Some claims made in this work are simply absurd to the point of being unrecognizable by any practicing Latter-day Saint. Some of these claims are discussedd in this section.
Presentism
Sometimes authors of Church related historical works apply twenty-first century values to 19th century people. This section documents such instances in this work.
Mind reading
Authors will sometimes assume that they can deduce the thoughts of long-dead historical figures. This section documents instances of "mind reading" found in this work.
Rewording secondary sources
Sometimes when reading a work, we feel that we've the flow of concepts somewhere before. This section documents some such instances in this work.
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
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{{To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition}} | To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition | edit |
{{To learn more box:''Under the Banner of Heaven''}} | To learn more about responses to: Under the Banner of Heaven | edit |
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