https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LKbeCFQjbo

The Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants talks about the contents of the Doctrine and Covenants which Joseph Smith claimed to receive by revelation from God. It says that priesthood keys were conferred by Moses, Elijah, and Elias to Joseph Smith. What this passage fails to realize is that Elijah and Elias are the same person. Sometimes names are written differently in the New Testament than they are in the Old Testament because of the change in languages. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek. The name Elijah and Elias is the exact same name. Elijah is from the Hebrew Old Testament and Elias is from the Greek New Testament. Another example of this is when Jeremiah the prophet of the Old Testament is called Jeremy the prophet in the New Testament. This can be confusing and it confused Joseph Smith who only understood English. People who speak multiple languages fluently will completely understand how this could happen but people like Joseph Smith only understood English and so thought Elijah and Elias were two different people.

A common modern example would be if you thought your neighbor had two sons because sometimes they called their son John and other times they called him Juan. This happens all the time in bilingual families. John is the English version of Juan. Another example is when Mormons talk to people in foreign countries about Joseph Smith sometimes they call him Joseph Smith and other times they translate his name and call him something like Jose Smith. Jose is the Spanish version of Joseph.

The problem is that this mistake is reflected in the revelations of Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants. The introduction indicates that Elijah and Elias are two different people because that is the way the revelations are written in the Doctrine and Covenants. In D & C 67: 6-9 it gives different gifts and attributions for Elijah than it does for Elias as if they were two different people.

In D & C 110: 12 -15 it says Elias appeared then after that Elijah appeared as if they were two completely different people. It doesnt make sense to have a person appear then disappear then reappear and think that same person is another person just because his name was translated from Greek to English.

In D & C 138: 45-47 it says that Elias was on the mount of Transfiguration which is true according to the New Testament in Matthew 17: 4 which reads "Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." The problem for Joseph Smith comes in where it says in verse 46 that Elijah was also there. Elias and Elijah are the same person so it wouldnt make any sense to say they were both there at the same time. Joseph Smith read the New Testament and saw that Elias was at the Mount of Transfiguration but wanted to insert Elijah there too not understanding that Elias was Elijah. This shows how little Joseph Smith understood the Bible and how he was just making things up as he went along.

This can only lead to the conclusion that Joseph Smith was a false prophet who made up his revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. This kind of mistake only comes from cheap rip offs.

So Jesus and Josh are the same person? :)

Point taken, but there are plenty of other things about Mormonism that are more significant and more definitive that it is a scam. Like everything in the BoA and BoM, or polygamy, or the D&C claim that the earth is 7,000 years old, or Kolob, or seer stones. Misusing a Hebrew name is small potatoes.

The difference is that the Mormons will argue with you about those things. They cant argue about something that is so clearly wrong. Joseph Smith was just wrong. Period.