* DNA & LDS/Mormon Belief: Responses to Criticism--PART I

What the title says-

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Tags:

• DNA
• Mormon
• truth
• chromosome
• ancestor
• native
• american
• indian
• lds

[sneedledout]

its funny how fraudulent the so many things about the mormon church is that they have to constantly defend it. You cant really explain away any of the problems with the church without using a copout like "god works in mysterious ways", or "theres a reason for everything". Even if you can explain away the DNA problems, try explaining how the church recovered and verified the plates that Joe translated the Book of Abraham from. They don't let anyone see it anymore, because was found fraudulent.

[HiveRadical]

The Book of Abraham. You clearly know nothing about it. The most prominent contemporary apologist for our church has published a large and widely available book (I have a copy brimming with full color photographs of all the found papyri) titled "The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri"

I'd almost bet what you've read on the matter and I assure you that your perception of things with regard to The Book of Abraham is foundationally in error.

[HiveRadical]

weston27a2, just an FYI. I consider simply giving a link in a comment, especially if that link is to something other than you're own video, to be rather blatant spamming, and spamming is one of the few things I delete and block for. If you want to comment some of you're own words or lay out a case go right a head, or if the reference to a website is part of a larger response by yourself then that's fine, but don't just put up general links with nothing else. You do it enough and I'll block you.

[thebigcougar]

I enjoyed reading the comments both pro and con. What I get from this is a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind has already been made up, I am beginning to doubt everything. I have become a man of little or no faith.

[sagarat]

Your believing in the literal biblical flood indicates to me that your standards for evidence is much, much lower than mine.

Therefore I can conclude that you are willing to believe in very silly things as long as they support your beliefs.

Remember, Atheists don't believe in Mormonism just as much as Christians don't

[michamus]

@LDS4Life71

Ah, the argument from incredulity fallacy, with a dabble of argument from authority fallacy.

His standing in the church has zero effect on the veracity of his claims. Then again, the religious are notorious for being incapable of distinguishing the difference between believing something, and verifying it.

[LDS4Life71]

@michamus Quinn is not a good member. I would choose another source.

[michamus]

@LDS4Life71

In what way does this justify lying, and stealing? Seriously. You do realize J Smith had been in trouble with the law prior to his "being revealed" the location of the "seer stones".

Do you know what he was in trouble for? Selling seer stones for divination of treasure locations*. Fortunately for him though, he was young enough for the court to allow him to simply "disappear".

* Quinn (1987, p. 173); Bushman (2005, pp. 49–51); Persuitte (2000, pp. 33–53).

[michamus]

@LDS4Life71

I've read it before.

Apologist arguments are none to interesting to me. Simply saying, "well what was meant to be written..." is an age old argument, that fails to provide anything meaningful in examination of ancient texts.

All these hoops, and bending over backward just to keep from having to admit that the BoM contradicts what we observe in reality.

Then again, when a belief system praises "faith" over data, it's no wonder the data is quickly "explained" away.

[michamus]

@LDS4Life71

Ah! Never mind the apparent inconsistencies, and factual mistakes. As long as you "feel good" about it, and call that good feeling "the spirit testifying the truth" then it's all good, right?

You realize this is equivalent to plugging your ears, closing your eyes, and shouting "I can't hear you!", right?

Seriously man, evidence is the only demonstrable thing we can go off of, and you're ever so eager to dismiss it once it becomes an inconvenience for you.

[LDS4Life71]

@michamus Also I want to remind you of the hard times of the "farmer" in those days. Krakatao erupted and the winters that followed ruined the Smith family's crops as well as everyone else that lived during that time. Imagine the debt that accrued from failed crops?

[LDS4Life71]

@michamus Swords and "Cimeters" in the Book of Mormon

Matthew Roper

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Volume - 8, Issue - 1, Pages: 34-43

Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 1999

You really ought to take the time to read the article, because it explains what is meant in the text.

[LDS4Life71]

@michamus When ur only education away from your fathers' farm was only until 3rd grade, which is only BASIC reading, writing, and math. It is no wonder at all that Joseph had to make up words. It's also no wonder at all, that the church has made the text "politically correct" as our language has changed over the years.

Frankly scholars, and members of the church understand your concern, but the spirit of truth testifys that the BoM is God's word, and evidence is really a moot point.