thought, "I don't get it, I don't consider anything in this book that amazing." So then you look inward and think you are the problem. Yet every time you are at church or a church function they push the BOM at you and gush about it and laud it and applaud it and blah, blah, blah. I can't even count how many times i started the book and then one or two chapters in, i was already bored and out of motivation to carry on.

In hindsight, the BOM always felt fictional to me too, while the bible seemed real. And the constant droning on about wars and rumors of wars...its quite a violent book. And yet, the brethren and your local leaders gush and gush about the book and want you to set new reading goals each week, month and year. Its beyond nauseating.

Oh, and the Temple. Same exact story as above. Gush, gush, gush about it, yet i didn't like it and I didn't want to go. I thought it must be me. But turns out, there are a lot of people who don't like it but they are blind followers and just do what they are told. I tried to get out of Temple night as much as I could and normally got guilted into going by dear wifey.

I'm glad to be out and not have to deal with either the BOM or the Temple.

alaskawild Wrote:
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> In hindsight, the BOM always felt fictional to me
> too, while the bible seemed real.

Women being turned into pillars of salt, talking snakes and donkeys, magic trees and bushes, manna from heaven, towers reaching to heaven, dead guys coming back to life after 3 days...

Really? :)

Watch it, Hie.

Lot's Wife Wrote:
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> Watch it, Hie.

But...I didn't use your name! :)

Well. . .

Okay then.

;)

Well, i should clarify. The new testament seemed more real to me than the BOM.

The pillar of salt & manna have a factual basis. The pillar is a rock formation near the Dead Sea which may have inspired the story. There are several candidates for the origin of the manna story, including a type of fungus.

The fact that the members have to be challenged to read it, set goals to read it, pushed to read it, is an admission that reading the damn thing is a boring chore.

The BoM isn't exactly like that novel you read last summer with all the plot twists and fascinating characters that you just couldn't put down and read in one sitting staying up till 3 in the morning and then when you finished you were just sick that it had ended and there was no more.

I got through the BoM once--all the way. That was for Seminary. Contrast that to what I'm reading now, Ursula Le Guin's "No Time to Spare," in which I am reading and re-reading the same page sometimes because of the insight, the images, the jaw dropping humor, the wording.

When people gush about the BoM its just to show off as part of the "I'm so spiritual" game they play I would say. I can't even imagine how boring and empty your life would have to be to find the BoM fascinating.

Exactly! The BoM ain't exactly a Hairy Potter Book.

Same as you. Nothing there. Boring. I had one friend tell me she was going to bring me a book of mormon to read after I told her I didn't believe. I told her go ahead and I'll read it, but I knew I'd get nothing from it. I had read it more than she had, more than most of my family and friends ever had, and I found it boring.

Temple was beyond weird, especially to a female, going through the 5 points of fellowship with some old dude who had bad breath. Tell us to be morally clean and then let old men get a good feel up of the women on the other side of the veil. I went back 4 or 5 times. Do some sealings to someone you don't know and that will blow your mind.

I thought I had to do all these things or I'd lose my family. I never wanted to lose my family. Well, I did anyway. When I needed answers, they had none and, in fact, had the wrong answers. It is all a bunch of busy work with no reward.

I was always somewhat blown away by people who traveled with the BOM. I've been on several cruises and once noticed several people, who were not part of my group, up on the sun deck in their swimsuits reading the good old BOM. I couldn't believe it. Really? You chose that book to read on a cruise? That thought would never cross my mind.

I also went on a multi day motorcycle trip with some friends and relatives and one of the younger guys whips out the BOM to read around the camp fire. Again, i would never once imagine such a thing. I'm pretty sure that guy was just trying to show everyone his amazing level of spirituality. Yawn!!!

Well that's exactly it. They do it for show. Hoping to look good to other Mormons and hoping some never mo will ask them about it, so that they can gush about the amazeballs speshial experience on ever testimony meeting for years to come..

The BoM is religious fiction at best.

Remember, native Americans have Mongolian DNA, they are NOT of Semitic descend.

I always found having dental work more enjoyable than going to the temple or reading the Book of Mormon. At least at the dentist office you are high on nitrous watching TV.

I never got nitrous oxide. I think I need a new dentist or something. All I have is the touchy-feely gay dentist from India and he is very good.
I don't think he would be a very good mormon bishop.

but my last 2 dentists don't use it regularly. I have to ask. It's great! Makes you feel like you really aren't there.

My Dad decided to read it once, to see exactly what it was that I was following. I thought that was great, feeling that the Spirit would testify of the truth to him.

His only comment was, "Violent little book, isn't it?" I remember my eyebrows going up in surprise. I was confused. That's not what was supposed to happen. LOL

Not just here, but people take flak for expressing that the Bible seems more “real” to them than the Book of Mormon. Biblical improbabilities are usually brought up: people turning to salt, talking donkeys, etc.

Maybe it is better to say the Bible, right out of the chute, “feels” more genuinely ancient. Now, that, is incontrovertible. It is old. The Book of Mormon in no way, shape, or form carries the feel of being old. Why? Because it is a modern translation? No! Because it ISN’T based on anything old, excepting the whole verbiage and story lines lifted from the Bible. My personal favorite is Alma the Younger and the Apostle Paul pretty much being the same character.

Point well taken.
The bible stores *are* genuinely ancient.
And they "feel" like they are.

Scholarship, interestingly, informs us that they're not as ancient as they're often claimed to be...but that's often a difference between, say 1200BCE and 400BCE, both still "ancient."

Not 600BCE-400CE and made-up-in-Joe's-time like the BoM.

I don't know what everyone is complaining about?

Why read the BOM when you go see the BOM Musical instead? And it's a lot more enjoyable to watch as well.