I just finished reading this British dude’s resignation letter and the comments on his blog. I was triggered by the following remarks by Stephen Munzer and decided to answer the questions he raises by way of intellectual exercise.

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“However, the conclusion that Joseph Smith was a fraud, raises infinitely more questions than it answers. Here are just a few: Who did write the Book of Mormon and how?”

Personally, I lean toward Sidney Rigdon. There’s a lot of research on this topic and I invite you to read it for yourself.

“If Joseph had the capacity to write such literature in such a short time, he could have made much more money passing it off as fiction, rather than another bible – and would have saved himself from fierce persecution.”

Literature? Hardly. It’s boring, repetitive and superficial. None of the characters shows any development whatsoever. As for the “short time” – what short time? Several years passed between the first time Joseph Smith mentioned the gold plates and the publication of the BoM. And as for making money – well, Joseph Smith tried, didn’t he? Only he failed miserably, despite the effort being instigated by a so-called revelation. And finally – what persecution did Joseph Smith suffer because of publishing the BoM. Please give me one example.

“If one of the others (Oliver, David, Martin) wrote it, why didn’t they say so when they became disaffected?”

Well, they would be shooting themselves in the foot, wouldn’t they? Conmen are often reluctant to admit their cons.

“Why did no apostate ever reveal the truth about the origins of the Church when they had nothing to lose by doing so – and everything to gain?”

Many did. Very many, in fact. Defection was a big problem in Joseph Smith’s day. At one point, half of his Quorum of Twelve Apostles denounced him as a thief and an impostor and left the church. Most people in Joseph Smith’s day recognized him exactly for what he was and weren't shy about saying so.

“Why didn’t Joseph’s parents and siblings see him for the deceiver and liar that he must have been?”

They did and lived very well off his skills and charisma. Try reading for yourself his mother’s biography of her son and you will see exactly how well she knew.

“Why did Oliver and Martin return to the church, despite their once-held belief that Joseph was a fallen prophet?”

Who is Martin? And when Oliver returned, the fallen prophet was also a dead one, if I remember correctly.

“What did the eleven witnesses see and feel when they handled the actual plates? These were not simpletons and would have recognised something that the local blacksmith had knocked up.”

They didn’t handle anything but beheld the plates with their “spiritual eyes”. Simpletons may be too strong a word (though not by much) but their gullibility and superstitiousness are very well documented.

“Why does the original transcript of the Book of Mormon contain virtually no edits or rewrites?”

Have you ever seen the original transcript? It is so full of errors that it hurts your eyes.

“Have you ever tried writing a complex story without them?”

Not personally but I hear that there are many authors who manage just fine.

“How did Joseph manage to fabricate collective manifestations of the spirit and convince others that they were seeing angels and visions? Did no one spot that the emperor had no clothes on?”

It’s called mass hysteria; Google it. And again, there were plenty of people who realized that Joseph Smith was a charlatan.

“How did Brigham Young convince a large gathering of saints that he sounded and looked like Joseph Smith?”

See previous answer. Also, he probably was the best man for the job, it may have been a rational choice.

“If Joseph did all that he did for money and sex (as implied by those who question tithing and polygamy) why didn’t he take his money and women and hole up somewhere out of the firing line?”

I think he also did it for the power. Can’t wield power when you’re holed up. Also, he didn’t save any money, he poached it off his followers (by getting revelations telling people to build him houses and stuff). Can’t poach if you’re holed up.

“If the LDS church is false, is another religion true?”

The LDS church is not the measure of true religion. The question whether another religion is true is not dependent on the LDS church being false.

“If all religion is the fabrication of the fanciful mind of an evolved shrew-like creature, then why does it promote love, charity, philanthropy, fruits of the spirit and faith in a grand design and purpose rather than individual/ group survival and self gratification?”

Maybe promoting charity is a means to ensure group survival? Try reading up on the topic a bit. Quite a lot has been written about religion from various angles: sociology, anthropology, economy, history, biology, etc.

“If the LDS church is based on the lies, deceit and power-crazy mind of Joseph Smith and the early Saints, how do you rationalise every good thing that it has brought into your life?”

In hindsight, I think most of the good things in my life were the result of myself trying to be a good person to the best of my ability, as well as having kind and loving people around me, living in a free and affluent society, studying and working hard, etc.

“I would be interested to know how anyone leaving the church can provide convincing answers to any of these questions.”

Now you know. The answers are all out there, those leaving the church don’t have to make anything up.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2011 02:07PM by rt.

I'm sure this whole apostasizing Bishop thing is shaking up the mormon world in this part of the UK.

I really admire this bishop for his integrity. Most people in his place would not have had the courage to do what he's doing.

The Brigham Young thing is a mormon myth. There are no contemporary accounts of BY's appearance changing. It is kind of like the first vision, Several years later someone "remembered" it happening and then others piped up too. Don't you think such a magical thing would be in everyone's journal, that night? Not 20-30 years later.

Causing visions in others apparently was one of JS talents and from what I'm told isn't all that unique.

Angels and visions at Kirtland are best explained by three days of fasting followed by drinking beer. You will see stuff. Lots of stuff.

Btw, the Munzer dude is a younger friend of the ex-Bishop's. Knowing that makes the context of how they respond to each other more interesting.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2011 04:24PM by onendagus.

onendagus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Btw, the Munzer dude is a younger friend of the
> ex-Bishop's. Knowing that makes the context of
> how they respond to each other more interesting.


Yeah, I liked the Bish's answer a lot too. Still, a pity that he didn't point out how easily all of the TBM's questions can be answered by anyone who has read just a tiny bit more than Jesus the Christ and The Miracle of Forgiveness. Guess he's a lot more mature than I am :-)

One thing though. Martin here is Martin Harris, the guy who had to sell his farm because BoM didn't become a best-seller (as JS had prophesied). He was a man who got duped so many times by so many different people that he's excellent proof of what poor quality the mormon so called "god" seeks in a "witness".

Thanks.

Yeah, I kind of figured he meant Harris. Probably one of the biggest fools in early Mormon history. Then again, his wife seemed to see right through Joe Jr. She should have hit him on the head more (her husband I mean).