A Seer Stone and a Hat - "Translating" the Book of Mormon

For more, see this playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4F6150861BA19CBC

The founder of the LDS Church, Joseph Smith, claimed an angel named Moroni visited him in September of 1823. This heavenly messenger is reported to have told him about gold plates that contained a record of "former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang." The plates were said to contain "the fulness of the everlasting Gospel" as it was "delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants." In order to translate the language contained on the plates (a language called "Reformed Egyptian"), two stones in silver bows, called the Urim and Thummim, were included with the plates (Joseph Smith History 1:34,35). According to Smith's testimony, four more years went by before the angel allowed him to retrieve the gold plates.

Joseph Smith said, "each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed" (History of the Church 4:537).

The question at hand, then, is whether or not Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon plates is true. If Smith truly was a prophet with the ability to decipher plates of an unknown language which were said to contain the story of Jesus' appearance in the Americas, then this man should be revered and his translation of this ancient work heralded as God's word to mankind. On the other hand, if the translation has no basis in fact, but instead is based on fraud, then it should be exposed and the man's teachings about God and faith should be debunked. This is the difference between the way Mormons and critics of the LDS Church view Mormonism's first prophet. What is the evidence?

You can download and discuss the video more here:

http://mrm.tv/seer-stone-and-hat

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Mormonism
• LDS
• Joseph
• Smith
• Translation
• Plates
• Book
• of
• Mormon

[sachamo100]

I have always been impressed that every person that witnessed seeing the the plates, died having never changed their testimony! I place my name side by side with those who testified that The Book of Mormon is the word of God! I have received a personal witness that it is true.

[aaronshaf2006]

@sachamo100 The problem is that the deeper you look, the more you find that their testimony was not a plain eye-witness testimony of seeing the physical plates, but rather a kind of spiritualized, visionary experience of seeing the plates with the "eyes of faith". See mrm[dot]org/eleven-witnesses

[mezz077]

@aaronshaf2006 The Witnesses state they actually saw, touched and handled the plates. This is as plain as eye witness testimony gets.

[aaronshaf2006]

@mezz077 You're in for a surprise if you look at the historical evidence. Have you seen mrm[dot]org/eleven-witnesses ?

[GodVlogger]

Clearly God does NOT communicate with His people by having a person stick his face in a hat with a rock! Any TRUE Christian knows that would be RIDICULOUS! Rather, TRUE Christians know that when God wants to communicate with His people He turns Himself into a bush and lights himself on fire. Now THAT is a God we can believe in. Makes perfect sense.

[heikkala2797]

Not to mention, he was a teenager when he did this......young teenager....known for storytelling~~~

[Bobbytpt]

Isn't it funny how mormons always ban together to attack things like this? 115 dislikes to a man who makes more sense then their entire religion? You mormons don't have to be afraid of the truth! Just face it, in watching this video you know your religion has been disproven, but you will still go your entire life pretending its real, and making up excuses to protect a false religion. I'm not preaching any one religion as being the "true religion" but at least they weren't invented out of a hat

[IExposeMormonism]

@scottwins2 Joe says "by the power of God I translated the BofM from hieroglyphs, the knowledge of which was Lost to The Ages". Joe claims Anthon saw (Reformed Egyptian) "the Characters which had been Translated". Anthon described theTranslation as the best he had seen. How cold Anthon know what Champollion had not taught to Anthon, Egyptian? Had Joe taught E' to Anthon or Champy?!Anthon says he saw silly Roman, Hebrew, and Greek, "Anything But Egyptian". I wonder who tells the truth

[scottwins2]

“For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round" - 1 Nephi 10:19”

THE BOOK OF MORMON

[scottwins2]

Abraham Lincoln had his office in his hat so what else is new? Joseph used the hat from time to time to keep the room light out so he could see better.

[getdownto311]

@Jack44M ummm look back a couple pages to find your william smith comment,if it wasnt you i apologize

[getdownto311]

@Jack44M ooo you called us a cult....your so original,like you have any idea what cult is you jackass!

[Jack44M]

@getdownto311

Unlike you, I'm not defending a cult so it's good for folks to see just how low class Mormons actually are.

[Jack44M]

@getdownto311

Nobody said anything about anything William Smith claimed....lost your mind have you? lol

[getdownto311]

@Jack44M just because william smi4th made that claim that doesnt mean it holds any water,you are so gullible!