Problems with the Book of Mormon

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Hi everyone. I just read part of the Catholic Answer’s article “Problems with the Book of Mormon” and I was just wondering, what are some other problems with the Book of Mormon that are not listed in this article?

I know of a few problems with the Book of Mormon. Here they are:
  • The Book of Mormon says that elephants existed in the ancient Americas. Elephants have never been native to the Americas.
  • The Book of Mormon mentions the use of steel long before steel was invented.
  • The Book of Mormon mentions bees in the ancient Americas and scholars have shown that the Spaniards introduced bees to the Americas when they came over.
These are just a few of the many problems with the Book of Mormon. I don’t know of many others but I do know that the Book of Mormon has many problems. So, I ask, what are other problems of the Book of Mormon? 🤷:confused:

Oh and for those that are interested, here is the link to the Catholic Answers article:

catholic.com/library/Problems_with_the_Book_of_Mormon.asp
 
Holly3278 said:
Hi everyone. I just read part of the Catholic Answer’s article “Problems with the Book of Mormon” and I was just wondering, what are some other problems with the Book of Mormon that are not listed in this article?

I know of a few problems with the Book of Mormon. Here they are:
  • The Book of Mormon says that elephants existed in the ancient Americas. Elephants have never been native to the Americas.
  • The Book of Mormon mentions the use of steel long before steel was invented.
  • The Book of Mormon mentions bees in the ancient Americas and scholars have shown that the Spaniards introduced bees to the Americas when they came over.
These are just a few of the many problems with the Book of Mormon. I don’t know of many others but I do know that the Book of Mormon has many problems. So, I ask, what are other problems of the Book of Mormon? 🤷:confused:

Oh and for those that are interested, here is the link to the Catholic Answers article:

catholic.com/library/Problems_with_the_Book_of_Mormon.asp
Click to expand...
The people in the BOM, Nephites, Lamenites…There isn’t any proof of their existence.
 
Holly3278 said:
Hi everyone. I just read part of the Catholic Answer’s article “Problems with the Book of Mormon” and I was just wondering, what are some other problems with the Book of Mormon that are not listed in this article?

I know of a few problems with the Book of Mormon. Here they are:
  • The Book of Mormon says that elephants existed in the ancient Americas. Elephants have never been native to the Americas.
  • The Book of Mormon mentions the use of steel long before steel was invented.
  • The Book of Mormon mentions bees in the ancient Americas and scholars have shown that the Spaniards introduced bees to the Americas when they came over.
These are just a few of the many problems with the Book of Mormon. I don’t know of many others but I do know that the Book of Mormon has many problems. So, I ask, what are other problems of the Book of Mormon? 🤷:confused:

Oh and for those that are interested, here is the link to the Catholic Answers article:

catholic.com/library/Problems_with_the_Book_of_Mormon.asp
Click to expand...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology_and_the_Book_of_Mormon
 
Not only that but the historical dates provided for events in the BOM are completely inaccurate.
 
LAMBOFGODGIRLY said:
The people in the BOM, Nephites, Lamenites…There isn’t any proof of their existence.
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Yeah I think I knew this but I am not certain. That is definitely a good criticism of the Book of Mormon because if these civilizations were as large and advanced as the Book of Mormon states, there should have been evidence of these civilizations found by now.
LAMBOFGODGIRLY said:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology_and_the_Book_of_Mormon
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Thank you. I read part of this article and was rather shocked that the Book of Mormon contains so many things that archaeology cannot account for.
The_GreyPilgrim said:
Not only that but the historical dates provided for events in the BOM are completely inaccurate.
Click to expand...
Really? I did not know that. Could you provide an example please?
 
Gee Holly, there is so much wrong with the BOM it would take another book to write them all down.

Problems that I see:

A religion started by one man who claimed to be a prophet. Now look at all the other religions started by a single individual. Serious problems there. Some of these cult members committed sucide.

Joseph Smith used a “seer stone” to translate the golden plates. Any reasonable person would tell you that is witchcraft.

There is no evidence of the existance of these golden plates. Eyewitnesses are usually not trustworthily and these witnesses were untrustworthy. Then JS told everyone the plates were taken into heaven for safekeeping or something to that effect.

Several pages were lost. Joseph Smith knew this would be a problem if he redid the pages and the lost ones were turned up later. They would have to be an exact match as they were translated by God. Since he was making the whole thing up and God was not involved there was not way he could match the missing letters. So he wrote into the BOM that the writer foretold this would happen and therefore he covered his ruse.

No Mormon has ever been able to give a resonable answer to any of the problems with the BOM.
 
ricko said:
Gee Holly, there is so much wrong with the BOM it would take another book to write them all down.

Problems that I see:

A religion started by one man who claimed to be a prophet. Now look at all the other religions started by a single individual. Serious problems there. Some of these cult members committed sucide.

Joseph Smith used a “seer stone” to translate the golden plates. Any reasonable person would tell you that is witchcraft.

There is no evidence of the existance of these golden plates. Eyewitnesses are usually not trustworthily and these witnesses were untrustworthy. Then JS told everyone the plates were taken into heaven for safekeeping or something to that effect.

Several pages were lost. Joseph Smith knew this would be a problem if he redid the pages and the lost ones were turned up later. They would have to be an exact match as they were translated by God. Since he was making the whole thing up and God was not involved there was not way he could match the missing letters. So he wrote into the BOM that the writer foretold this would happen and therefore he covered his ruse.

No Mormon has ever been able to give a resonable answer to any of the problems with the BOM.
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Hmmm, thanks for this informational post Rick. I do appreciate it. I did not know some of what you told me.
 
Barley, horses, camels, honey bees, and wheat are not indigenous to the Americas. No evidence has ever been found of the making of steel and the use of chariots in the Americas. DNA evidence shows that the indigenous peoples of the Americas are related to the Polynesians and Mongols not Semitic peoples. No evidence of great wars or great cities where the BOM says they were located. There are lots of problems with the BOM, too numerous to list.

Please read the Mormon Challenge by Paul Dupre, it is an outstanding source of information.

May you have a blessed day.
 
Holly3278 said:
The Grey Pilgrim:
Not only that but the historical dates provided for events in the BOM are completely inaccurate.
Click to expand...
Really? I did not know that. Could you provide an example please?
Click to expand...
There are references made of Israelites leaving Jerusalem “for the land of the Bountiful” aroud 600 b.c.

There is no record of this in the OT; you would think that if was part of God’s great plan for salvation there would be record of some ruler of Israel sending out a remnant “over the great waters” as the BOM puts it. There’s not.

By this time Israel and Judah had split into two opposing kingdoms and Israel was under siege by the Assyrians. Judah was under the thumb of the king of Babylon. For an Israelite to leave his homeland was as severe of a punishment as apostasy. No Israelite would do this of his own free will.

There is also mention in the BOM of these Israelites intermarrying with the daughters of Ishmael. Marital purity for an Israelite was sacred; you did not marry someone who was not also an Israelite.

There are also “prophecies” made to Nephi at this time concerning the “Lamb of God”, the “Christ”, and the apostles.

I placed the first two in quotes because nowhere in the OT is the Messiah referred to as the Lamb of God. This was first revealed to the apostles by John the Baptist in St. John’s Gospel.

The word “Christ” would not have been used by any Israelite during this time(600 b.c.). Christ is the English translation to the Greek word “Christos”, rendered from the Hebrew “messiah”. Common Greek did not exist in Israel/Judah until around 350-325 b.c with the conquests of Alexander the Great. Neither did the word “apostles”; that is also a Greek term. It would mean that Greek and Hebrew was brought to the new world before the Vikings or Columbus. If so where are the native americans who speak these languages or derivations of them?

Reference made in the BOM of the name of the Messiah as Jesus pop up in 124 b.c. before the angel appears to Mary.

I could go on, but I think you get my point.
 
Dear Holly,
I have a daughter named Holli, since she was born on December 25.
I enjoyed reading your posts.
I’m going to give you my opinion about some of the things mentioned, since I’ve read the Book of Mormon over 40 times and am comfortable discussing it.

First, it is a remarkable book and I have never found anyone who can explain its existence without “explaining it away” by citing evidence that they think proves “it couldn’t possibly be true”. They do just what the bloggers here have done. But nobody can explain how a farm youth could “write” such a book. If God wants such a book to be believable only to those who are willing to read it with a sincere heart and an interest in understanding how God communicates to humankind, then of course He is going to “hide” the archeological evidences and the DNA evidences and going to allow such a thing as (perhaps) a “mammoth” to be described as an “elephant” by that farm youth who was describing what he could relate to in words that made sense to him.

I also have never heard an explanation of the countless prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled most closely by the Book of Mormon account than by anything I’ve read. For example, for the House of Israel to be scattered among all the nations on earth, and gathered in the “last days” (see Isaiah 2)–we surely are in the “last days” and how is that gathering taking place?

I could answer any question posed about the Book of Mormon, and would be happy to do so. But I suggest a questioner about that book should read the Old Testament (especially Genesis, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Micah, and Malachi) five times and the New Testament twice, before asking the questions so they have a basis for understanding the answers.

Good day, all.
 
ParkerD said:
I also have never heard an explanation of the countless prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled most closely by the Book of Mormon account than by anything I’ve read. For example, for the House of Israel to be scattered among all the nations on earth, and gathered in the “last days” (see Isaiah 2)–we surely are in the “last days” and how is that gathering taking place?
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Ummm, the nation of Israel?
 
ParkerD said:
But nobody can explain how a farm youth could “write” such a book.
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That’s the same “proof” that Muslims use for the Koran. Muhammed was allegedly illiterate, and so the Koran must be true!

The answer is similar in both cases. Sidney Rigdon wrote the Book of Mormon (the evidence is overwhelming) and Muhammed’s followers wrote the Koran from what they remembered of Muhammed’s sayings (they documented that fact). Besides, Joseph Smith wasn’t as ignorant or unschooled as you want to think he was, and the Book of Mormon is not really much of a book. The only good stuff in it was plagiarized from the bible.
 
Hi, Paul,
That is a very good point, but remember that Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons, not just Judah, and Joseph had two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) of whom the tribe of Ephraim becomes prominent in some of the prophecies about the last days. (See Hosea) What of the tribe of Ephraim today?
 
Paul,
For Sidney Rigdon to have “written” the Book of Mormon, he would have to have done it anonymously since he wasn’t anywhere near Joseph Smith when the Book was written. So let’s see: he writes the book, has Joseph take the credit and lets Joseph be the leader of the church, never tells anyone it was really he that “wrote” the book even though he later leaves the church and still later comes back after Joseph Smith was killed, and tells people he should be the new leader of the church–yet still says nothing about himself having written the book?

As to the Koran versus the Book of Mormon, there is no valid comparison between the two. The Book of Mormon will remain a mystery to those such as yourself who brush it off without really reading it, except perhaps a passing glance.

By the way, I meant what I said about reading the Bible thoroughly several times first. Otherwise, a discussion is pretty meaningless because the questioner is not wondering, “are there prophecies that are being fulfilled today that I may not be aware of?”
 
ParkerD said:
Hi, Paul,
That is a very good point, but remember that Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons, not just Judah, and Joseph had two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) of whom the tribe of Ephraim becomes prominent in some of the prophecies about the last days. (See Hosea) What of the tribe of Ephraim today?
Click to expand...
Ephraim is reportedly scattered everywhere. Why do you think that the LDS are especially adept at gathering the tribes any more than any other religion? I would venture that if you mean gathering them into covenental communion with God (since the LDS are no longer gathering physically to “Zion”), the Catholic Church has been far more effective than the LDS will ever be.
 
Paul,
I liked your reply, and the phrase “covenantal communion with God”, so if you feel that you have been “gathered” in that way, then I think that’s great. I also feel that I and my ancestors have been “gathered” in a different way, but to a “covenantal communion with God” that allows for His divine guidance to help me and my wife and our children in our everyday lives. It is a wonderful thing to have.

I’m glad you have found that for yourself, and find fulfillment in what you have. May it guide your life to peace and happiness, sincerely.
 
ParkerD said:
Paul,
I liked your reply, and the phrase “covenantal communion with God”, so if you feel that you have been “gathered” in that way, then I think that’s great. I also feel that I and my ancestors have been “gathered” in a different way, but to a “covenantal communion with God” that allows for His divine guidance to help me and my wife and our children in our everyday lives. It is a wonderful thing to have.

I’m glad you have found that for yourself, and find fulfillment in what you have. May it guide your life to peace and happiness, sincerely.
Click to expand...
I know you’ve been trained to think that Catholics do not have divine guidance in their everyday lives, but you have been deceived. We have the magisterium of the Church, which is guided by the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us personally within our spheres of influence. Read a papal encyclical now and then; you’ll see what real prophecy is.
 
Well, since this has turned into a debate, I am going to leave this thread. I have read enough to be thoroughly convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is false and is nothing more than a made up story by a false “prophet”.
 
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