Status Updates From Understanding the Book of M...

Chapter 9 is the final chapter and discusses how we talk to our LDS friends. Which is very gingerly, they are so used to being mocked for their beliefs they will shut down very quickly if we are harsh or hard.

Chapter seven talks about how, unlike the lands mentioned in the Bible, they have yet to find any concrete evidence of where in America the Book of Mormon took place. I also say a video on this where scholar after scholar talked about how there is just no proof. That there should be some kind of artifacts but there is none.

Chapter 6 talks about how the Book of Mormon relates to the Bible."The Book of Mormon both validates and calls into question the status of the Bible" ~ 59 "the implications of 1 Nephi 13 is that corrupt scribes intentionally changed the Bibles text in order to alter it's meaning." ~ 60 "The Bible is depicted in the Book of Mormon as both corrupt and incomplete" ~ 61 It also has tons of chapters out of the Bible.

Chapter five Talks about how though Christians believe that the Bible alone is God final authoraative word to humanity Mormons do not. They believe that "in the end the word of a living prophet stands above the authority of written scripture" 50.

Chapter four talks about how the book of Mormon teacheds that Adams sinning was necessary (and therefore good?) because if Adam didn't sin they wouldn't of had children so there would be no human race. Also unlike the Bible which has virtually remained unchanged, the Book of Mormon kept changing as Josephs views changed.

Chapter three talks about where the book of Mormon comes from and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Smith started talking about the gold plates for over five years before the book of Mormon was published so even though Mormons say that the intricate plots prove that Smiths translation of the plates had to be from God, Smith really did have five years to craft the story before he "translated" it.

Chapter two talks about what is in the book of Mormon. It talks of the Nephites who were good (and had light skin) and the Lamanites who "are described as "lazy and idolatrous people" (Moshiah 9:12) "wild, ferocious, and bloodthirsty" (Enos 1:20)...Having rejected Gods commandments...were cursed with dark skin and degenerated into barbarism and savagery" ~ 18. ...Wow Really?

Chapter one goes over the basics of the LDS church."Mormonism teaches that the origional church founded by Jesus fell into apostasy. Foundational truths were lost and confused. The organization and authority established by Jesus were forfeited. As a result God chose Joseph Smith as a prophet to restore original Christianity." ~ Page 12