The evidence indicates that the book of mormon is in fact an amalgamation of ideas that were inspired by josephs own environment new and themes from the bible old. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. In several cases, the plagiarism is proof that joseph smith was the author of the book of mormon, since the source of the copied text was not accessible to the alleged book of mormon authors. Critics challenge the viability of the population size and growth of the book of mormon people. Welch first pointed out the existence of chiasms in the book of mormon in his masters thesis, a study relating chiasmus in the book of mormon to chiasmus in the old testament, ugaritic epics, homer, and selected greek and latin authors, brigham young university, 1970, including alma 36 on pages 12831. Both the bible and the book of mormon declare themselves to be ancient. Mormon prooftexts from the bible christian research institute. The conclusion states, much as critics and defenders of the book of mormon would like to use dna studies to support their views, the evidence is simply inconclusive. The book of mormon and the king james bible wikipedia.
Joseph smith said that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book history of the church, vol. Archaeology has not proven so helpful for other religious writings. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents. The 1st rule of book of mormon evidence there is no. Is there evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon.
Many a learned person has asked the same thing about the bible or even the existence of god. The book of mormon is the only explanation for this scripture. Two of the most prevalent claims for the book of mormon are, there is much archaeological proof to the book of mormon, and the american indians are descendants of israelites who came to america as described in the book of mormon. Nov 30, 20 these facts establish how plausible it is that the book of mormon really is an artifact of the ancient world. In several cases, the plagiarism is proof that joseph smith was the author of the book of mormon, since the source of.
After all, the book of mormon also claims to be revelation from god, and that leads naturally into your other question. Eugene england, a second witness for the logos, in by study and also by faith. Critics might state that the book of mormon is not prophesied of by name in the bible. Isaiah in the book of mormon religious studies center. In this chapter we will examine the book of mormon to see how it holds up to the. Roberts wrote a letter in 1932 citing a few sources for cement work that predated the book of mormons publication, but this information was highly obscure until the middle of the 20 th century. Archaeological evidence for 7 locations on lehis journey. The bible is the stick of judah and the book of mormon is the stick of joseph.
This chart shows scientific facts and principles referred to in this ancient bible, but not actually discovered by humankind until later centuries. Admittedly, evidence surrounding the book of mormon is not our greatest strength, while the bible itself contains hundreds of verifiable events, wars, cities, historical figures, and factual. The bible is not a book but a collection of 66 books, written over a span of 1600 years across 3 continents, by over 40 writers inspired by god in 3 languages yet it has one primary theme the glory of god and salvat. What is the difference between the bible and the book of. However, after a fair and candid examination of the evidence, many thousands of honest mormons have discovered that this claim. The book of mormon teaches that god has flesh and bones and that he has a wife with whom they produce spirit offspring in heaven that will inhabit human bodies on earth. The bible has zero grammatical or spelling errors but the first edition of the book of mormon looks exactly like what you would expect from someone like the uneducated but otherwise brilliant joseph smith. But the old testament prophesied of him in such a way its unmistakable that it refers to jesus. Many members of the latter day saint movement claim historical authenticity of the book of mormon. Ten lies i told as a mormon missionary mormonism research. The book of mormon the book of mormon claims to be a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible. Is there evidence for the book of mormon in the bible. Why did brigham young teach that adam is our father and our god when both the bible and the book of mormon mormon 9.
Most, but not all, mormons hold the book s connection to ancient american history as an article of their faith. John clark of the new world archaeological foundation has compiled a list of sixty items mentioned in the book of mormon. Scriptures of the restoration do not compete with the bible. So much for the book of mormon being a different gospel than the bible the record of this visit is found in the book of 3rd nephi, in the book of mormon. We also have a dvd wherein i discuss many of these finds archaeology has not proven so helpful for other religious writings.
Palmer 16 scholars reject smiths explanation of the origin of the book of mormon. There is no question that the isaiah passages in the book of mormon are in the language of the king james translation of the bible. Think joseph smith could have gotten that right by sheer chance. For example, critics of mormonism have shown convincing proof that the. The bible and book of mormon app, from the church of jesus christ, treats the two volumes of scripture as one, and makes it easier than ever to read, study and share the word of god. In total, approximately 30 percent of the book of isaiah is quoted in the book of mormon one source counts 478 verses in the book of mormon which are quoted from isaiah. In terms of evidence, if we compare the bible to the book of mormon, the bible wins hands down. A biblical scholar looks at the book of mormon mormons in. Critics note that there is no physical proof of the existence of golden plates.
Your bible is a translation directly from the best greek manuscripts we possess. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. Provides concrete evidence disproving the book of abraham, demonstrating that joseph smith was a false prophet. Recent literary appreciations of the book of mormon include marilyn arnold, sweet is the word. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints otherwise known as mormons. The book of mormon claims to be a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible. The book of mormon is a proof that gods love is universal and endless, and that it. If there are differences between the bible and the book of mormon, they reject the bible. Dont expect proof for any religion or matter of faith, but yes, there are many issues that support the concept that the book of mormon is of ancient origin and not a. Proof the book of mormon isnt true the book of mormon contradicts the bible and was actually a work of fiction written by joseph smith in the 1800s, who copied much of it from the king james version, trying to make it look like an ancient manuscript. Employing the word cement was cited as anachronistic proof of the book of mormons fabrication.
Ive presented this information in a summarized way before, but felt that seeing the full text side by side would give the reader a much greater appreciation of the extent that joseph smith plagiarized from the king james bible. However, as elder callister pointed out, the name of jesus christ is not prophesied of in the old testament. In many other cases, joseph smith made minor word changes or additions. The book of mormon is completely devoid of such proof. Proof that the book of mormon is true book of mormon facts. Top 10 embarrassments of the mormon religion listverse. The prophet joseph smith said, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book joseph smith, history of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, 7 vols. For instance, because chiasms abound in the king james bible, chiasms in the book of mormon provide necessary evidence, by the definition used above. Jan 23, 2016 the book of mormon describes a ditch being dug around the protected area. That very arrangement is now well documented archaeologically an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, provo, utah.
Ronald gudnason universal model science taught in iceland. Book of mormon evidences, part one discusses some of the many factors supporting the plausibility of the book of mormon as an ancient document. It contains 19 chapters of the kjv of isaiah in their entirety, along with parts of a few other chapters. It is part of a collection that includes book of mormon evidences, part two, book of mormon evidences, part three, and book of mormon nuggets. Allan part 1 the book of mormon tells usofa who and where we are, and what is coming. Exlatter day saint families on youtube shine a little more light on the theological and practical inconsistencies of the historical and current leaders and prophets, but this documentary really just gives a black and white comparison of the two books. Textual evidences for the book of mormon religious. Contradictions between the book of mormon and the bible. You summarized my intent by surmising i guess your main aim was to convince us that the bible s content is not mythical in the sense that it was not entirely made up, and continue reading religious evidence.
While there is still much to learn about the people and stories in the book of mormon, some of the best archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon comes from lehis journey to the promised land. The bible the bible teaches that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god. To the ardent follower of joseph smith, the book of mormon is the surest proof of his prophetic office. Its narrative, teachings, and people american fork. All opinions, speakers and presenters represent and express their own individual opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of firm foundation, book of mormon evidence, or its employees, and no information or opinions represent the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Each book stands as evidence that god lives and speaks to his children by. If you accept the book of mormon you must place your faith in one man, joseph smith, and accept that everything he says is the absolute and eternal truth. It is the one undeniable sign of his divinely given gifts of translation. Mormonism is a religion less than two centuries old, but in this short time it has managed to accrue a long list of embarrassments which the church leaders would prefer were kept. Mormon prooftexts from the bible christian research. A book of mistakes, error, and fraud by jon gary williams introduction the mormon church promotes the book of mormon as an inspired writing.
Evidences in proof of the book of mormon book of mormon. And for those of you who want proof outside the bofm, there is archaeological evidence supporting jesus appearance in the new world, including the ruins of preeuropean christian churches. Due to the nature of its origin, that would support the existence of god. Justin, your comments in my introduction to external evidence were so insightful i thought conversation should continue around them with a post.
Barley comes up in the book of mormon four different times mosiah 7. Atop it a fence of timbers was planted and bound together with vines. Thus, more fodder for book of mormon criticism and ridicule. Proof the book of mormon isnt true the book of mormon contradicts the bible and was actually a work of fiction written by joseph smith in the 1800s, who copied much of it from the king james version, trying to make it. Both the bible and the book of mormon declare themselves to be ancient, historical, and reliable rules of faiththe very word of god. Oct 25, 2016 according to hugh nibley, the father of contemporary mormon scriptural and theological scholarship, the book of mormon can and should be tested. Love for the book of mormon expands ones love for the bible and vice versa. That type of argument is usually called fideism or blind faith. Mormon is allegedly a prophethistorian who was the native american believed by mormons to have written the book of mormon the main religious text of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints mormonism.
As a companion to the bible, the book of mormon is a witness of jesus christs. Not one piece of evidence has ever been found to support the book of mormon not a trace. Therefore, the mormon can have confidence that the bible is the word of god and that it can be accurately translated. Many book of mormon names are either biblical, formed from a rhyming. In the last chapter we saw that the bible is reliable, being textually pure and verifiably accurate in many places. For example, critics of mormonism have shown convincing proof that the book of mormon is a synthesis of earlier works written by other men, of the vivid imaginings of joseph smith, and of plagiarisms from the king james bible. Jul 06, 2011 the bible came first, not the book of mormon. The only bible that joseph smith relied on was the king james version. This common query often expresses the questioners incorrect assumptions about archaeological methodologyassumptions usually based the questioners lack of knowledge about a very specialized academic area. As men focus their attention in other areas of research, bits of cultural and linguistic evidence come to the forefront as additional testimonies of the book of mormon. The bible and the book of mormon work closely together to fulfill a common.
In total, some 478 verses in the book of mormon are quoted in some form from the kjv book of isaiah. And whereas the bible is organically linked to the earthly ministry of jesus christ by extensive surviving manuscript evidence going back as far as. The bible and the book of mormon for over 100 years, mormon archaeologists have searched in vain for indisputable proof of book of mormon civilizations. In fact there are more lost, altered and changed sections in the book of mormon when you compare the original 1830 book of mormon to the current edition, than the few variant readings in the new testament. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence rick branch two of the most prevalent claims for the book of mormon are, there is much archaeological proof to the book of mormon, and the american indians are descendants of israelites who came to america as described in the book of mormon. Why is there no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. The bible is full of proof that it came by the inspiration of god. Oct 05, 2019 evidences in proof of the book of mormon by charles thompson, minister of the gospel. To answer that question ive spent some time compiling a list of evidence for the divinity of the book of mormon. How could there be so many witnesses of the book of mormon and the plates and not one of them deny their testimony even when some of them became bitter toward joseph smith.
Mormon beliefs are also shown to contradict both the bible and the book of mormon. If this is true, then the book of mormon should be full of errors. My book, archaeological evidence for the bible, discusses these and many other discoveries in greater detail along with citations and footnotes. There is no evidence of actual wheeled vehicle usage in the 2,000 bc to 400 ad time frame in ancient america.
This view finds no acceptance outside of mormonism. Part of why i beleive the book of mormon, and everything else in the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is how it tells of how i lived before i was born. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as never before. It seems that if nephi had copied them from the plates of brass in hebrew onto his own record and that if joseph smith had then received the english translation by the gift and power of god, the isaiah passages would read more like the 1830 book of mormon and less. The literary testimony of the book of mormon salt lake city. The way you can attempt to answer the question, is the bible really inspireddoes it have a divine originis to see whether the bible has marks of the supernatural. President benson said that the church had neglected its charter scripture and that now, in our day, the lord has. These claims have historically been taken on faith. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon. And whereas the bible is organically linked to the earthly ministry of jesus christ by extensive surviving manuscript evidence going back as far as a. Nov 06, 2006 order the dvd at the book of mormon claims to be a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible. But is there any evidence to support them one way or the other. In fact, many pieces of necessary evidence are more compelling than material deemed sufficient.
A logical proof that mormonism is false by matt slick mormonism teaches that god used to be a man on another world, mormon doctrine by bruce mcconkie, p. Textual evidences for the book of mormon religious studies. Do you know how to show a mormon person the difference in reliability between the bible and the book of mormon. However, it can evaluate the historical claims which both books make, and that evaluation shows that while the bible s claim to be authentic history is supported by objective evidence click for article on the bible and archaeology, the same cannot be said for the book of mormon. The king james bible 1611 may have been a source for the book of mormon. Scientific proof of the bible 29 scientific facts from bible scripture. There are two possible explanations for the origin of the book of mormon. The bible is estimated to have been written between 1450 b.
Book of mormon evidence streaming faithfully exploring. Both sufficient and necessary evidences are highly subjective in quantity and quality. The bible and book of mormon for android apk download. Not one piece of evidence has ever been found to support the book of mormon not a trace of the large cities it names, no ruins, no coins, no letters or documents or monuments, nothing in writing. The bible, the book of mormon, and the concept of scripture. There is absolutely no archaeological evidence to directly support the book of mormon or the nephites and lamanites, who were supposed to have numbered in the millions. Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Problems with the book of mormon catholic answers catholic. Proof that the book of mormon is true, excerpt from. Bible ties to the book of mormon bible reference for lds. By comparing the differences with other versions of the old testament, we can see evidence that the book of mormon is an authentic record that adds to a correct.
The purpose of this article is to shed some light on not only the subject of archaeology, but also. Is there archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. The book of mormon explicitly quotes the prophet isaiah. Yet even among believers this biblical template for the book of mormon. These facts establish how plausible it is that the book of mormon really is an artifact of the ancient world. Mormonism teaches to investigators and followers alike that the correct interpretation of this passage is that, the sticks are really scrolls, the stick of judah is the bible, the stick of joseph is the book of mormon, the joining of these sticks mean the joining of the two writings. Excluding the bible and similar writing, can you prove to an atheist or to someone that is agnostic that god exists. The book of mormon contains many linguistic similarities to the king james bible kjv. It is either of divine or human origin, and if it is of human origin that means that joseph smith concocted the book.
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