Not that I've searched it out (or if I did I already forgot!), but WHY would the egyptians wrap a dead guy, who seems to have no signifigance to the LDS'ers, in the God-inspired words of Abraham!? Sorta like finding one of those Gobi Desert mummies buried with a copy of 'Romeo and Juliet'.

The latest explanation is that JS didn't really translate from the papyri at all. They just inspired him to get revelation directly, apparently improving his reception. When you remember that he didn't even have to be in the same room with the golden plates while he was translating the BoM, this explanation has the advantage of consistency.

just how mysterious God is... go figure, like you could call him the father of lies.

Isn't it interesting how much imagination it takes to keep it sounding plausible?

JS translating the BOM with a stone in his hat, or using an Egyptian funeral scroll as a medium to get revelation is not plausible. All it does is give them some kind of "answer" that you can't prove didn't happen. Just like you can't prove Santa doesn't have flying reindeer just because it's not plausible.

What? No Rudolph? Dancer? Prancer? Dixon? Comet? Cupid, Donner and Blitzen?

There goes my Christmas. Next thing, you'll be attacking the Easter Bunny and the Great Pumpkin.

Orson Pratt 1878


“Have any of the other denominations got this gift among them? Go and inquire through all of Christendom…’Can you translate ancient records written in a language that is lost to the knowledge of man?’ No…the universal reply of the Christian denominations, numbering some 400,000,000 would be that they have not the power to do it…you must give us credit.”

Anyone know of the exact origin of this quote? I couldn't find a reference.

You can read it in its complete context on Google Books at the following link (the quote starts in the right-hand column, about half way down the page):

http://books.google.com/books?id=pO_S3MEUJrwC&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&dq=%E2%80%9CHave+any+of+the+other+denominations+got+this+gift+among+them%3F+Go+and+inquire+through+all+of+Christendom%E2%80%A6%E2%80%99Can+you+translate+ancient+records+written+in&source=bl&ots=mqKas96E8z&sig=I9OWmKIahu32a6BtkLr2HnG9hWE&hl=en&ei=MHPNTKiFJYqSnweO6dwm&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CHave%20any%20of%20the%20other%20denominations%20got%20this%20gift%20among%20them%3F%20Go%20and%20inquire%20through%20all%20of%20Christendom%E2%80%A6%E2%80%99Can%20you%20translate%20ancient%20records%20written%20in&f=false



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2010 09:59AM by Fetal Deity.