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A FAIR Analysis of MormonThink page "The Lost 116 Pages of the Book of Mormon"

FAIRMORMON'S VIEW OF THE CRITICS' CONCLUSIONS

The positions that the MormonThink article "The Lost 116 Pages of the Book of Mormon" appears to take are the following:

• That Joseph lied and made up the story about the 116 lost pages of manuscript.
• That a South Park episode provides "the most telling comment we've ever heard about the lost 116 pages debacle": "Wait, Mormons actually know this story and they still believe Joseph Smith was a Prophet?"

FAIRMORMON'S RESPONSE AND SUPPORTING DATA

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
The official story taught and recorded by the church is nonsensical for the following reasons: 1.The evil men that were conspiring to alter the original documents could not have done so without it being very obvious that the original document was altered. When Martin Harris was scribing for Joseph, he didn't use a pencil and paper. Martin wrote with ink on foolscap. Any alteration would be very noticeable and not convincing to anyone.

FairMormon commentary

• It would have been a simple matter to publish Joseph's purported translation with alterations, and then either "lose" or conveniently destroy the original manuscript.
• A local paper was happy to plagiarize the Book of Mormon text before it was even published and print excerpts in the newspaper. The Smiths had to use the threat of legal action to get him to stop. This demonstrates that finding a publisher to broadcast at least some text--enough to discredit Joseph--would not have been difficult.
• Something somewhat similar happened with the Spalding manuscript--the manuscript was found, but it was hidden by those wishing to discredit Joseph. His critics simply requested affidavits from people who claimed to have read the manuscript, and who testified that it matched the Book of Mormon. This was the dominant critical theory for explaining the Book of Mormon until the Spalding manuscript was found, disproving the theory. (MormonThink still trots it out, however.)
• How much better to have people (like Lucy Harris) who could publish what they claimed and would swear were Joseph's actual words from the original translation.
• If this story is so "nonsensical," then why did none of Joseph's friends, allies, or family find it suspicious at the time? Like many critics' theories, this one requires everyone involved except Joseph to be complete dunces.

Additional information

• The lost 116 pages—Critics assert that Joseph Smith did not retranslate the 116 lost pages of the Book of Lehi because he knew that he could not reproduce the exact same text. They claim that alterations in a different handwriting to the stolen manuscript would have been readily apparent. Some suggest that the writing of the 116 pages served as an “apprenticeship” to allow Joseph to improve his writing skills. (Link)

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
For example, they could have changed some names of people or places or altered events that are central to the beginning of the Book of Mormon and thereby prove that Joseph's new translation was in error. If they really thought their alterations would have gone unnoticed they could have changed the names of Nephi's brothers or the cities they came from or many other items that would have been included in both sets of plates. But they never did this - why? If opponents of the Church really had the lost 116 pages as Joseph claimed, they would have resurfaced in some form to at least attempt to discredit Joseph, even if they would not have been successful.

FairMormon commentary

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
3.The general belief at the time was that Martin Harris's wife burned the 116 pages. If she destroyed them, then this entire story is simply made up by Joseph Smith. But the prophet Joseph evidently was afraid she had not, but had secretly hidden them, for the purpose of entrapping him, should he ever attempt to reproduce the pages. If the work was really of God, the manuscript could be reproduced word for word without a mistake. If, however, Joseph created it himself, his memory would hardly be adequate to such a task, without numberless changes or verbal differences-and thus "give himself away," since he loudly professed to be all the time aided "by the gift and power of God." Since the lost pages never surfaced in any form, it is likely that they were destroyed immediately by Martin Harris's wife. Therefore, the entire story about someone altering pages is impossible and just made up by Joseph because he knew he could not reproduce those same pages as he was not really translating the Book of Mormon story.

FairMormon commentary

•   The author is making mutually exclusive claims:  —When critics need an attack against the Church, any excuse will do, even if they are mutually self-contradictory: if one argument is true, the other cannot be.
  It is interesting to note that when critics on MormonThink discuss how Joseph created the Book of Mormon, that Joseph's memory is assumed to have been phenomenal—enough to memorize sufficient material to dictate in the open with the stone and the hat. Yet, when talking of the lost 116 pages, Joseph's memory "would hardly be adequate" to recreate the lost 116 pages.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
4.It is convenient that the prophets of old just happened to make an extra set of plates 1500 years ago to cover this contingency, isn't it? Not only are the 116 pages lost, we have an explanation of how it was fixed right in the document itself written thousands of years before the event happened.

FairMormon commentary

• Given the descriptions of the translation process by various witnesses, it is apparent that the translation proceeded in a very linear fashion. Each day Joseph would pick up the translation where he had left off the day before, without any recital of the previously written text. It is inconsistent for the critics to believe that Joseph was capable of dictating in this manner, and yet could not have easily dictated an alternate text to replace that which was lost. For the believer, it is much easier to accept that the Lord, in His wisdom, knew of the problem that would occur and provided an alternate text.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
Critic's response. First of all Mark Hofmann was caught. Even the Tanners (the biggest enemies of the Church) said his 'Salamander letter' was a forgery but it STILL fooled the Church leaders. Although it would be possible for a master forger to forge the documents in the early 1800s, what are the odds that either one of the evil men trying to bring down Joseph was either a master forger or had access to a master forger? It's not a common skill and since money wasn't the motive, how could they pay for a skilled forger to even begin this kind of undertaking?

FairMormon commentary

• This again completely ignores the problem of publishing the pages and swearing via affidavit that the transcription was correct. Such a tactic would be far more plausible if one was known or strongly suspected to have access to the originals (as Lucy Harris did).
• Again, why did Joseph's allies and family find this scenario persuasive, then? The critics require all of them to be nothing but idiotic, gullible dupes to fall for Joseph's explanation. If they found it persuasive in their time and place, if we do not then that probably shows that we are missing something.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
But even if that were possible and they found a very skilled forger in the 1820s, Martin Harris would have simply said that it was not his handwriting and he did not write those pages. Martin lived for many decades after the Book of Mormon was published and he would have refuted it. If he simply said he didn't write those pages, as presented by the evil-doers, the whole attempt would have been one of the weakest arguments against the church - hardly Satan's master plan.

FairMormon commentary

•   The author is using mocking language and hyperbole to try to make his or her point  —The critic intentionally exaggerates claims in order to mock believers.
  When has the loss of the 116 pages ever been claimed to be "Satan's master plan?"
• This again completely ignores the problem of publishing the pages and swearing via affidavit that the transcription was correct. Such a tactic would be far more plausible if one was known or strongly suspected to have access to the originals (as Lucy Harris did).
• Again, why did Joseph's allies and family find this scenario persuasive, then? The critics require all of them to be nothing but idiotic, gullible dupes to fall for Joseph's explanation. If they found it persuasive in their time and place, if we do not then that probably shows that we are missing something.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
FAIR believes that the whole lost 116 pages episode was all meant to be a lesson in humility for Joseph. But FAIR didn't even attempt to explain about the 'evil men', their foolhardy plan, what happened to the manuscript and why didn't the evil men attempt to discredit Smith or do something (anything) with the manuscript. FAIR's explanation simply falls short in trying to explain why Joseph apparently made up the story about the evil men when the evidence is heavily weighted against these evil men even existing.

FairMormon commentary

• Wait a minute...why would FAIR try to "explain why Joseph apparently made up the story?"
• Why would FAIR attempt to explain the "evil men?"—everything that we know about them is what is stated in the D&C. Are we supposed to speculate on this?
• The bottom line is that the Lord used this experience to teach Joseph an important lesson with the loss of the manuscript, and He provided an alternate text to compensate.
• FAIR thought it obvious that a holograph manuscript was not an absolute requirement for the plan to cause serious problems. Having spelled it out explicitly and repeatedly, it will be interesting to see if MormonThink adjusts their argument.

Quotes to consider

• DC 3꞉6-10

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words— Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble. Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall. But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work.

Additional information

• The lost 116 pages—Critics assert that Joseph Smith did not retranslate the 116 lost pages of the Book of Lehi because he knew that he could not reproduce the exact same text. They claim that alterations in a different handwriting to the stolen manuscript would have been readily apparent. (Link)

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
Ending summary by critics The lost pages could not have been altered without detection. The lost pages never resurfaced and were very likely burned by Martin Harris's wife. In reality, the lost 116 pages were never produced and what Smith and God had feared never happened. If Harris's wife had really thrown them in the fire, then what would have been the problem with Smith just re-translating them from the beginning again? If the pages were not destroyed, they would have resurfaced at some point because they could still be altered to discredit Smith. But they never resurfaced either because they were destroyed early on by Mrs. Harris or because there were no evil men standing by to alter the pages. Either way, the story about Satan's plan to discredit the prophet was apparently made up by Smith to cover himself. What ultimately happened is exactly what you would expect if Joseph was making up the Book of Mormon. The pages were lost and needed to be redone - it would be a similar story told a little differently.

FairMormon commentary

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
Also, Joseph asked God if he could share the pages and he got a "no" answer twice. Then he got a "yes" answer because he was wearying the Lord with his requests. To believe this, you must accept that God is so impatient he's bothered by someone asking the same question repeatedly. You must also believe that a perfect God can be wrong or change his mind (especially when annoyed by irritating supplicants like Joseph Smith). This conflicted, changeable being doesn't sound like a God anyone should be worshiping, or in fact resemble the God the Mormon's profess to believe in. But if God will change his mind by repeated requests for the same desire, perhaps I should continue to ask God to help me win the lottery.

FairMormon commentary

•   The author is using mocking language and hyperbole to try to make his or her point  —The critic intentionally exaggerates claims in order to mock believers.
  There is lot of mockery of God going on here. The critics obviously consider a belief in God to be silly.
• God didn't change his mind—He decided to let Joseph learn a valuable lesson—a lesson that is still taught in Church to this day.
• How many of you that are parents listen to your children ask for something that they shouldn't over and over again? Do you sometimes go ahead and let them learn for themselves why it wasn't a good idea? Did you "change your mind" about whether it ever really was a good idea or not? We don't think so.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
A further thought - combining the lost 116 pages with the translation process. 1) God foresaw the loss of the 116 pages and in his infinite wisdom 1500 years prior had a 2nd set of plates made, covering the same time period. ...and... 2) JS "translated" the BOM by putting his face in a hat and seeing the English words which he then dictated to the scribe. The actual golden plates were not "read" and were often not even in the same room. So put the lame 116-page explanation together with the nonsensical translation of plates without the presence of plates and we have... God going to extraordinary lengths to have SECOND set of plates made so that they could NOT be used, in place of the first set of plates that were not used.

FairMormon commentary

• Note the characterization of the "lame" explanation and "nonsensical" translation of the plates.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
Our thoughts We find it hard to believe that Satan and some evil men were really behind the plot to steal the 116 pages. The stolen pages would have eventually come forth, in probably a failed attempt to discredit Joseph. If nothing else they would have been worth a lot of money so we can't imagine why the evil men, if they existed, would not have used the pages to either try to discredit Joseph, ransom them to Martin and Joseph or hold on to them to eventually sell them. The stolen pages wouldn't have simply been destroyed by men who went to such trouble to obtain them.

FairMormon commentary

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
Instead it seems much more plausible that Martin Harris' wife had immediately destroyed the pages to defy her husband. If that's the case we wonder if there could be any other reason why Joseph would make up the story about Satan's plan to discredit him? We have not yet been able to think of any other reasonable explanation to answer Joseph's actions other than he was not really translating an ancient document as he claimed.

FairMormon commentary

• Really? Why isn't it just as plausible that Martin Harris' wife showed the pages to some "evil men" as part of a plan to discredit Joseph Smith and get the money for their farm back?
• How would destroying the pages immediately help Mrs. Harris recoup her financial loss? There would be no evidence of the scam! So we should believe that she just got mad, burned the manuscript and then said "Oops! I just destroyed the evidence of the scam."

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
A further problem is that Joseph Smith appears to have falsified canonized scripture (D&C Section 10 and the introduction to the 1830 version of the BOM) by making up a story about evil men stealing the lost 116 pages in an attempt to discredit him when it seems obvious that there were no evil men and that Mrs. Harris likely destroyed the manuscript. If Joseph did make up this story, and have it canonized as scripture in the Doctrine & Covenants, as well as in the introduction to early versions of the Book of Mormon, then how can his other scriptures that he brought forth be trusted?

FairMormon commentary

•   The author is begging the question:  —Critics will often assume what they are trying to prove in how they frame questions or describe issues.
  Note how the critics assume that Joseph "falsified canonized scripture" as fact and then proceed to draw a conclusion that no other scripture in the D&C or Book of Mormon can be trusted because of this.

On their old website, MormonThink claims...
There's an episode of the cartoon South Park called "All About the Mormons". In the episode, a faithful LDS family tells the story of the lost 116 pages to a neighbor boy they are trying to convert. They tell this story as proof that Joseph Smith was telling the truth and Mormonism is true. Perhaps the most telling comment we've ever heard about the lost 116 pages debacle comes from the neighborhood boy, who, after hearing the story of the lost 116 pages, exclaims ""Wait, Mormons actually know this story and they still believe Joseph Smith was a Prophet?"

FairMormon commentary

•   The author is using mocking language and hyperbole to try to make his or her point  —The critic intentionally exaggerates claims in order to mock believers.
  Why yes, of course we should give credence to a satirical cartoon as providing valuable insight when determining what our most life-altering and sacred religious beliefs entail.