Ask a Mormon, Part 3

[Nylan]

Disclaimer: Ihave never read any of the book of Mormon.

So the Book of Mormon says that Native Americans were already here when the Jews arrived?

As far as I know it does not say that expressly, but it is Eran's view that they were. I personally don't know, but I don't see any reason to rule out the possibility.

The Mulekites and Nephites/Lamanites were the two groups of people that came to America in the beginning of the Book of Mormon. The Mulekites had traveled to America shortly before the others, and the Nephites are the ones whose accounts we read of the crossing to the new world. After the Nephites and Lamanites (good, bad basically) split, the Nephites and Mulekites joined and were called Nephites.

Should I simplify?

 

[Birdjaguar]

As far as I know it does not say that expressly, but it is Eran's view that they were. I personally don't know, but I don't see any reason to rule out the possibility.

The Mulekites and Nephites/Lamanites were the two groups of people that came to America in the beginning of the Book of Mormon. The Mulekites had traveled to America shortly before the others, and the Nephites are the ones whose accounts we read of the crossing to the new world. After the Nephites and Lamanites (good, bad basically) split, the Nephites and Mulekites joined and were called Nephites.

Should I simplify?

Not at this point; I should probably go read some of the text.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yeah, the Church itself has never said exactly and the Book of Mormon is a little ambiguous on that point - I just think it makes a lot more sense that there were already people here. Besides the archaeological evidence, the Book of Mormon itself seems to hint that the Nephites and Lamanites of later were not the pure descendants of Israelites.

 

[bhsup]

Hey, if I am going to order The Book Of Mormon, is there any difference at all between the Missionary edition and the Doubleday edition, or is it just quality of the hardcover and so forth? Also, should I bother with Doctrines and Covenants and Pearl Of Great Price?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

The D&C is a lot of revelation to Joseph Smith and his successors; it does explain a lot about specifically LDS practices and doctrines. The Pearl of Great Price, less so, mostly because it is a lot shorter.

As far as I know, the only difference between the Doubleday and missionary editions are price and physical quality.

 

[The Kingmaker]

Also as far as I know, the Doubleday edition does not have the footnotes, index, or cross-references with the Bible and other scriptures.

Also, the entire text of the Book of Mormon is available online here:

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/contents

You should start with the Title Page (which contains Moroni's introduction to the book) and work your way down.

 

[Nylan]

I find it hard to read e-books personally

hence the reason I'm not done with yours Eran

 

[Firstlady]

What's the difference between the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost?

 

[Nylan]

The Light of Christ, as far as I understand it, is something everyone is born with that helps them discern right from wrong. The Holy Ghost is a gift that must be given that helps us choose between right and wrong (to a more powerful degree), make important decisions, answer prayers, and help us recognize spiritual truth.

I'm not entirely sure that's a very clear definition, but that's the basics of it I think.

 

[Firstlady]

The Light of Christ, as far as I understand it, is something everyone is born with that helps them discern right from wrong. The Holy Ghost is a gift that must be given that helps us choose between right and wrong (to a more powerful degree), make important decisions, answer prayers, and help us recognize spiritual truth.

I'm not entirely sure that's a very clear definition, but that's the basics of it I think.

So the Light of Christ is like your...Jimney Cricket? It's your....conscience?

 

[Nylan]

essentially

 

[Birdjaguar]

From the introduction.

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.

So the Lamanites arrived in 600 BC and were the principle ancestors of the Indians. The biggest difficulty with this is that by 600 BC Indians were spread from the arctic to Tierra del Fuego. Anyway I will read some more.

 

[Nylan]

From the introduction.


So the Lamanites arrived in 600 BC and were the principle ancestors of the Indians. The biggest difficulty with this is that by 600 BC Indians were spread from the arctic to Tierra del Fuego. Anyway I will read some more.

It is possible that it was remnants of the Jaredite civilization, or natives as Eran believes and I consider.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yeah, that part you quoted isn't canonical - it is a good description of the Book of Mormon but it isn't doctrine that they are the only ancestors of the native Americans.

 

[The Kingmaker]

The most widely accepted Mormon theories that I've heard/read/seen on this issue are that the Jaredites are basically the Olmecs and that the Nephite/Lamanite/Mulekite skirmishes were some part of the pre-classical Mayans.

However, both of these groups are largely unexcavated. The first examples of Olmec writing were only found last year as far as I know, and most pre-classic Mayan sites remain unexcavated. (Most excavated Mayan sites are either classic or post-classic.)

One good example of a pre-classic Mayan site that's only beginning to be excavated is El Mirador. Its larger pyramid complex, called "La Danta" is around 230 feet high and possibly the largest ancient structure in the Americas, but is still largely unexcavated.

 

[greekguy]

How do you (by you I mean any Mormons posting in this thread) respond to accusations that Joseph Smith was a conman, and Mormonism is in actuality one big con by Smith?

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I've been doing some research on Mormonism online, and I wanted to see what some of you guys had to say in response to such accusations.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

If he was a conman, he was a pretty lousy one. He spent his entire adult life facing all sorts of persecution, got kicked out of 3 different states, and lived in poverty most of the time - and ended up getting killed, without having really made any sort of money off of the deal.

 

[greekguy]

If he was a conman, he was a pretty lousy one. He spent his entire adult life facing all sorts of persecution, got kicked out of 3 different states, and lived in poverty most of the time - and ended up getting killed, without having really made any sort of money off of the deal.

Well, to be a conman you don't necessarily need to have $ as the ultimate goal. Basically, when he founded Mormonism and moved out West he eventually founded his own town (Nauvoo, Illinois), became General of his own private militia, was sorta dictator of the town, and I've read accusations that he slept with teenage daughters of his followers. Granted, he was killed, but for a short while he lead a pretty good life. So, how does the Church handle this and other accusations, such as "money digging" in the North East and such?

 

[The Kingmaker]

If he was a conman, he was a pretty lousy one. He spent his entire adult life facing all sorts of persecution, got kicked out of 3 different states, and lived in poverty most of the time - and ended up getting killed, without having really made any sort of money off of the deal.

In addition, he went willing to Carthage, knowing he would face his death there, when he could have easily run away. Conmen don't give up their lives for a belief.

 

[warpus]

In addition, he went willing to Carthage, knowing he would face his death there, when he could have easily run away. Conmen don't give up their lives for a belief.

Unless they're nuts.

Just saying