5 key reasons Evangelism is hard and why I do it anyway

I've decided to redirect one more time from my series on world wide religions to share this post today. I've been working on this blog ministry  for close to 19 months now. Many may wonder why I would devote my time and energy to evangelizing my faith. As I have said before, I felt personally called by the Lord to do this and He has made it clear to me from the very beginning of becoming a Christian that this was part of what He sent me to this world to do. 

For the most part this has been a very positive experience and something I enjoy devoting myself too. Having someone call you or email you and tell you that your blog influenced them in their decision in coming to faith in Jesus Christ can't help but make you feel that  the work you are doing has value. As wonderful as that is, there is another side. When you evangelize about your faith you open yourself to those who will criticize you or challenge you or those who will flat out go out of there way to prove you wrong or even mock you. I've had many conversations with people on both sides of the spiritual coin.

 As I've said from the beginning, I've chosen this blog as my way of evangelizing. I rarely will bring up my faith with anyone unless I'm asked about it. Since starting this blog, I'm asked a lot more. I figure this blog is here for those who want to read it, and apparently that is a lot of people. My recent blog statistics tell me I have a large number of people reading my blog on a daily basis. Although people rarely leave comments, they contact me by phone, email and often will send me a personal face book message.  What was once a one to two hour commitment each week is turning into a thriving ministry for me and I love it. This week alone (it's Wednesday) I've already put in over 10 hours on this ministry between researching, writing and communicating with people. Since I have a lot on my plate personally this week, that means I'm often up until after midnight sometimes making sure I give this ministry my all which is fine with me!  I take absolutely no personal credit for any good this blog may be serving...I give ALL the glory to God for it is through Him that I am inspired to write and share with others. The best part of where I am right now with this ministry is that I am at the point where I am getting confirmation that I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

In fact Monday was one of those days. What started out as what I will only call "a bumpy and difficult road in the mission field", turned itself around ten fold when I received a call out of the blue from someone who has not picked up the phone to call me  in a very long time. This person told me that not only had her and her husband been going to church for the first time in their marriage, but that additionally she wanted to share with me that after being agnostic her entire life that she had a very real encounter with God and was positive for the first time in her life that He was real, He cared for her and that she knew with complete certainty that she was now a beloved child of God. That conversation erased all the difficulties of the morning and God showed me that my work for Him has not been in vain.

I have friends that go on mission trips all over the world to evangelize. One of my dearest friends goes out on the streets of Italy and evangelizes to prostitutes. Another friend goes down to the Las Vegas Strip and talks with people on a weekly basis. Others serve food to the homeless and share the gospel with them. You don't have to be a writer and have a blog to evangelize! If you have ever shared your faith with a co-worker or friend, than you have evangelized. I will be sharing more on effective ways to share your faith in a future post.

Before Jesus departed to His heavenly throne to take His position as Lord and Christ, He spent a final time with His eleven disciples. The last command that He gave them was this: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

If these are the last words that Jesus gave His disciples, we must consider that they are of the utmost importance to Him, and to ourselves. Jesus commands us to tell others about Him. You may ask, "Why me?" Aren't there others more equipped to do that? I am not a preacher, I do not know what to say,"

The good news about that is that Jesus does not ask us to do something without equipping us with what we need. The beloved physician, Luke, recorded in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Christ commanded us to tell others about Him and promised to give us power to do it. In the same way that a person is called to be a witness in a legal proceeding, we are asked to be His witnesses. In a legal proceeding, the witness will testify to the things that they have personally seen and heard; they will give an account based on what they have observed or experienced insofar as it has relevance to the current proceedings. As Christians, we have the opportunity and responsibility to tell others what we have "seen" and "heard" and what we have experienced in our walk with the Lord. Although God promised to equip us with what we will need, He never said it would be easy. Anything worth while seldom is.

Here are five reasons why evangelism is hard and why I do it anyway. 

1. It grates against social norms.

Think about the cringe-factor that comes with the word “proselytize.” That’s the same stigma that comes with word “evangelize.” Evangelism is often viewed (even by some Christians) as intrusive, coercive and crass.

But that stereotype is not Biblical evangelism. We should never coerce anybody to convert to Christ but, in the words of the Apostle Paul, set forth the truth of the gospel plainly.  When someone responds “no” we should pray for them. When they respond “yes” we should disciple them. When they say “I’m not sure” we should prayerfully journey with them to help them unpack the message of the Christian faith.

While evangelism grates against social norms,  it along with prayer, is the primary tool through which God’s kingdom advances on this earth. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:12, “And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing….”If we want to see God’s kingdom powerfully advance in our sphere of influence we must unleash the power of the gospel through evangelism.

2. It leads to awkward moments.

There’s no getting around it…evangelism can be awkward. Sure there are questions we can use to mitigate the awkwardness. Yes there are listening skills we can develop to break down the weirdness. But, at the end of the day, asking someone to consider embracing an entirely different belief systems is awkward.

With that said however, if there was a “Director of Awkward Moments” in the New Testament it would be Jesus himself. But it is in the crucible of the awkward where minds are changed and souls are saved (just ask the woman at the well.)

3. It exacerbates our fears of being rejected.

Think back to the first time you had a job interview. Your hands were sweating, your knees were knocking and your heart was pounding as you took those steps that lead from your car to the meeting place of the person interviewing you. If you are anything like I was...you were afraid!....and what was the primary fear?  The fear of being rejected!

In the same way when you evangelize you put yourself on the line. You open yourself to the possibility of being rejected. In other words, we become like Jesus in a very real and tangible way. According to Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Jesus was willing to be rejected so that we could accept the free gift of salvation that was purchased with his blood. If we really want to follow in his footsteps we need to be willing to be rejected as well.

4. It triggers demonic response.

If you want to anger Satan, then I can promise you that evangelizing about Christ will fire him up to wreak all kinds of havoc in your life. During the first century, the devil tried diligently to stop evangelism. He did not want Christians taking the Gospel to others. Thus, he caused per­secution, false teachers, and discouragement through the Roman government. Yet Chris­tians were still ardent in their evangelistic efforts. To defeat the devil and help us overcome sin, we need to spread the Gospel around the world. How the enemy would love us to ignore Mark 16:15-16. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

 Satan would like us to believe that we can stay home, watch our favorite tele­vision shows, and “let someone else worry about spreading the Gospel.”Satan wants people to think that they do not have the talent or ability to spread the Gospel, and that they therefore cannot do it. But each of us has been given the command to take the Gospel to the whole world. Look at the principle in Acts 5. Talk about people whose hearts were in evangelism—here they are. Christ’s disciples had been beaten for preaching the Gospel, and had been told not to go out to preach the Gospel any more. Yet verse 42 records, “Daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” The disciples were told to hush, or they would be beaten. Yet while the blood on their backs was still wet, and while the Jewish leaders’ warning was still ringing in their ears, they went to the temple and house to house to teach people about Christ. Oh, if we only had the zeal and desire to carry out evangelism like those people had. 

Acts 8:4 records, “Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” We need to fol­low the command of Jesus, Who said in Matthew 28:19—“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” We are told in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are to “proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” In Colossians 1:28 Paul wrote, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Look at the good that comes from evangelism. In the first century, the critics of Christians said that they had “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). But what they really did was turn the world right-side up by getting people back in line with the will of God. Paul, Barnabas, Luke, and others would go into a city, and peo­ple would burn their books of magic (Acts 19) or they would tear down idols and give hon­or to God. That is the last thing that Satan wanted!

St. Peter’s warning to the early believers of the 1st Century church, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” 1 Peter 5:8.

Who do you think Satan is out to destroy? Those who are evangelizing Jesus! I am convinced that Satan will attack first those who attack him hardest. Christians who are prayerfully, consistently and lovingly sharing their faith are the ones who Satan will bring about a host of unpleasant doses of spiritual warfare. I could write an entire post on the spiritual warfare I've had to deal with since I began this blog. The more I write in it, the more Satan does everything in his power to get me to stop.  I will share more about spiritual warfare in a future blog post.

How do we overcome his attacks? Through prayer! We remember to clothe ourselves in the strength that God provides which will energize our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-20) and encourage us to to keep evangelizing in spite of the opposition. Remember too, as believers in Jesus we have authority over Satan. Don't let the spiritual warfare you may encounter keep you from sharing your faith.

5. It makes us realize how much we don’t know.

I can’t tell you how many times somebody I was sharing Jesus with asked me a tough question and I just stood there thinking, “uhhhhhhhhh hmmmmmm.” There’s nothing more frustrating in evangelism than not having an answer to a lost person’s question.

But recently the Lord gave me a “get-out-of-jail” free card (so to speak) when it comes to this issue. He helped me realize that I don’t need to know all the answers. After all, He is the one who is all knowing, not me!

So when someone I’m sharing Jesus with asks me a question that I don’t have the answer to I’ll say, “Wow! That’s a great question! I have no idea what the answer is but I will find it out and get back to you. In the meantime, let's keep talking!” I’ll then start praying for and searching for the answer. I’ll search the Bible, read books or trusted Internet sources and go to my Pastor or my mentor and find those answers. I’ll then go back and re-engage the conversation.

We don’t have to know all the answers because we know the only One who does (God!) And we can learn some of those answers along the way when we engage people evangelistically and are honest enough to admit that we’re still learning.

Yes, evangelism is hard, but it’s also necessary. It’s necessary because people hang in the balance between heaven and hell and between hope and despair. If we really care about them we’ll do whatever it takes to get the message of Jesus to them in spite of the challenges.

I pray this post encourages you to engage in the challenging yet extremely rewarding work of evangelism in your sphere of influence. And, by the way, once you learn how to share the gospel it becomes much easier.

Thank you for reading A Spirit Filled Life and God Bless you.

Jeremy Camp - Walk by Faith Testimony

I'm taking a break from my series on world religions to share with you this brief testimony by one of my favorite Christian artists, Jeremy Camp. His song, WALK BY FAITH has seen me through many difficult times and as you will see he had a very powerful reason for writing it.

My next post is him singing the song. Take three minutes to listen to the testimony and another 3 to listen to the song. It will inspire you!

Jeremy Camp - Walk By Faith - LIVE UNPLUGGED

EXAMINING WORLD RELIGIONS: PART THREE: Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the leading world religions in terms of adherents, geographical distribution, and socio-cultural influence. While largely an “Eastern” religion, it is becoming increasingly popular and influential in the Western world. It is a unique world religion in its own right, though it has much in common with Hinduism in that both teach Karma (cause-and-effect ethics), Maya (the illusory nature of the world), and Samsara (the cycle of reincarnation). Buddhists believe that the ultimate goal in life is to achieve “enlightenment” as they perceive it.

Buddhism’s founder, Siddhartha Guatama, was born into royalty in India around 600 B.C. As the story goes, he lived luxuriously, with little exposure to the outside world. His parents intended for him to be spared from the influence of religion and protected from pain and suffering. However, it was not long before his shelter was penetrated, and he had visions of an aged man, a sick man, and a corpse. His fourth vision was of a peaceful ascetic monk (one who denies luxury and comfort). Seeing the monk’s peacefulness, he decided to become an ascetic himself. He abandoned his life of wealth and affluence to pursue enlightenment through austerity. He was skilled at this sort of self-mortification and intense meditation. He was a leader among his peers. Eventually, his efforts culminated in one final gesture. He “indulged” himself with one bowl of rice and then sat beneath a fig tree (also called the Bodhi tree) to meditate till he either reached “enlightenment” or died trying. Despite his travails and temptations, by the next morning, he had achieved enlightenment. Thus, he became known as the 'enlightened one' or the 'Buddha.' He took his new realization and began to teach his fellow monks, with whom he had already gained great influence. Five of his peers became the first of his disciples.

What had Gautama discovered? Enlightenment lay in the “middle way,” not in luxurious indulgence or self-mortification. Moreover, he discovered what would become known as the ‘Four Noble Truths’—1) to live is to suffer (Dukha), 2) suffering is caused by desire (Tanha, or “attachment”), 3) one can eliminate suffering by eliminating all attachments, and 4) this is achieved by following the noble eightfold path. The “eightfold path” consists of having a right 1) view, 2) intention, 3) speech, 4) action, 5) livelihood (being a monk), 6) effort (properly direct energies), 7) mindfulness (meditation), and 8) concentration (focus). The Buddha's teachings were collected into the Tripitaka or “three baskets.”

Behind these distinguishing teachings are teachings common to Hinduism, namely reincarnation, karma, Maya, and a tendency to understand reality as being pantheistic in its orientation. Buddhism also offers an elaborate theology of deities and exalted beings. However, like Hinduism, Buddhism can be hard to pin down as to its view of God. Some streams of Buddhism could legitimately be called atheistic, while others could be called pantheistic, and still others theistic, such as Pure Land Buddhism. Classical Buddhism, however, tends to be silent on the reality of an ultimate being and is therefore considered atheistic.

Buddhism today is quite diverse. It is roughly divisible into the two broad categories of Theravada (small vessel) and Mahayana (large vessel). Theravada is the monastic form which reserves ultimate enlightenment and nirvana for monks, while Mahayana Buddhism extends this goal of enlightenment to the laity as well, that is, to non-monks. Within these categories can be found numerous branches including Tendai, Vajrayana, Nichiren, Shingon, Pure Land, Zen, and Ryobu, among others. Therefore it is important for outsiders seeking to understand Buddhism not to presume to know all the details of a particular school of Buddhism when all they have studied is classical, historic Buddhism.

The Buddha never considered himself to be a god or any type of divine being. Rather, he considered himself to be a ‘way-shower' for others. Only after his death was he exalted to god status by some of his followers, though not all of his followers viewed him that way. With Christianity however, it is stated quite clearly in the Bible that Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 3:17: “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’”) and that He and God are one (John 10:30). One cannot rightfully consider himself or herself a Christian without professing faith in Jesus as God.

Jesus taught that He is the way and not simply one who showed the way asJohn 14:6confirms: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” By the time Guatama died, Buddhism had become a major influence in India; three hundred years later, Buddhism had encompassed most of Asia. The scriptures and sayings attributed to the Buddha were written about four hundred years after his death.

In Buddhism, sin is largely understood to be ignorance. And, while sin is understood as “moral error,” the context in which “evil” and “good” are understood is amoral. Karma is understood as nature's balance and is not personally enforced. Nature is not moral; therefore, karma is not a moral code, and sin is not ultimately immoral. Thus, we can say, by Buddhist thought, that our error is not a moral issue since it is ultimately an impersonal mistake, not an interpersonal violation. The consequence of this understanding is devastating. For the Buddhist, sin is more akin to a misstep than a transgression against the nature of holy God. This understanding of sin does not accord with the innate moral consciousness that men stand condemned because of their sin before a holy God (Romans 1-2).

Since it holds that sin is an impersonal and fixable error, Buddhism does not agree with the doctrine of depravity, a basic doctrine of Christianity. The Bible tells us man's sin is a problem of eternal and infinite consequence. In Buddhism, there is no need for a Savior to rescue people from their damning sins. For the Christian, Jesus is the only means of rescue from eternal separation from God. For the Buddhist there is only ethical living and meditative appeals to exalted beings for the hope of perhaps achieving enlightenment and ultimate Nirvana. More than likely, one will have to go through a number of reincarnations to pay off his or her vast accumulation of karmic debt. For the true followers of Buddhism, the religion is a philosophy of morality and ethics, encapsulated within a life of renunciation of the ego-self. In Buddhism, reality is impersonal and non-relational; therefore, it is not loving. Not only is God seen as illusory, but, in dissolving sin into non-moral error and by rejecting all material reality as maya (“illusion”), even we ourselves lose our “selves.” Personality itself becomes an illusion.

When asked how the world started, who/what created the universe, the Buddha is said to have kept silent because in Buddhism there is no beginning and no end. Instead, there is an endless circle of birth and death. One would have to ask what kind of Being created us to live, endure so much pain and suffering, and then die over and over again? It may cause one to contemplate, what is the point, why bother? Christians know that God sent His Son to die for us, one time, so that we do not have to suffer for an eternity. He sent His Son to give us the knowledge that we are not alone and that we are loved. Christians know there is more to life than suffering, and dying, “… but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

Buddhism teaches that Nirvana is the highest state of being, a state of pure being, and it is achieved by means relative to the individual. Nirvana defies rational explanation and logical ordering and therefore cannot be taught, only realized. Jesus’ teaching on heaven, in contrast, was quite specific. He taught us that our physical bodies die but our souls ascend to be with Him in heaven (Mark 12:25). The Buddha taught that people do not have individual souls, for the individual self or ego is an illusion. For Buddhists there is no merciful Father in heaven who sent His Son to die for our souls, for our salvation, to provide the way for us to reach His glory. 

Unveiling Grace: Eight Mormons' Life-Changing encounters with Jesus Christ

As I had mentioned in my last post, I will be concluding my examination of Mormonism with this video, Unveiling Grace: Eight Mormons' life-changing encounters with Jesus Christ. I hope you will take the time to watch this incredible video.

Thank you for reading my series of posts on Mormonism. As I move on now through my series on Examining World Religions, my next religion to examine will be Buddhism. Stay tuned, and thank you for reading A Spirit Filled Life. God Bless.

Examining The Book of Mormon

If the Book of Mormon is false, then Joseph Smith was obviously a false prophet.  If Joseph Smith was a false prophet, then millions of decent people have been deceived away from the truth.

Former LDS President and Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith once said of his namesake, “He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds the world has ever seen, there is no middle ground.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:188).  There have been some stories in the news recently about Mormon scholars who have been excommunicated for research papers that showed that the Book of Mormon is more fiction than fact.  But rather than present those news articles, let’s examine some of the problems with the Book of Mormon. 

First, let’s take a look at some logistical problems, beginning with those that concerned LDS apologist and theologian Brigham H. Roberts.  Roberts authored the six-volume Comprehensive History of the Church.  In 1921, a man investigating Mormonism asked Roberts to answer five questions.  These questions vexed Roberts, because he could find no suitable answer.  He then posed those same five questions to LDS President Heber J. Grant, Grant’s counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and to the Quorum of the Seventy.  They too, were unable to provide suitable answers.  Many of the recently excommunicated Mormon scholars mentioned in the last paragraph wrote academic articles conceding to these same difficulties.  

These five questions are:

1. Linguistics.  Why, if the American Indians were descended from Lehi, was there such diversity in their languages, and why were there no vestiges of Hebrew in any of them?
2. Why does the Book of Mormon say that Lehi found horses when he arrived in America?  The horse did not exist in the Americas until the Spaniards brought them over in the sixteenth century.
3. Why was Nephi stated to have a bow of steel?  Jews did not have steel at that time, and no iron was smelted in the Americas until the Spanish colonization.
4. Why does the Book of Mormon mention “swords and cimeters” when scimitars (the current spelling) did not come about until the rise of Islam after 500 A.D.?
5. Why does the Book of Mormon mention silk, when silk did not exist in the Americas at that time?

Let me add my own question here.  Joseph Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth (History of the Church, 4:461).  If that’s true, why has it been subjected to thousands of corrections and alterations since it was first published?  Also, some of the LDS scholars to whom I referred in the third paragraph found that the American Indians are genetically more similar to Asians.  No Hebrew link can be made through DNA analysis.

There are also doctrinal discrepancies between the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants and other source of LDS doctrine.  If the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth, then why the contradictions?  For example: 

• D&C 130:3 says, “The idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.”  But in Alma 34:36, it says, “And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell.”
• Joseph Smith said, “We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity.  I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345)  This introduced the doctrine of eternal progression, which Brigham Young forcefully expounded upon.  [Eternal Progression teaches that God was once a man who progressed to Godhood, and we humans have the ability to do the same through strict adherence to LDS doctrines and temple rites.]  Yet Moroni 8:18 says, “For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable, from all eternity to all eternity.”

When Joseph Smith contradicts the Book of Mormon, we can reach only one of two conclusions.  Either he did not write the Book of Mormon under divine guidance and is therefore a false prophet, or he decided to contradict the teachings of God, in which case he is a false prophet.  Smith also stated that no one could see God without the Holy Priesthood.  Yet according to his own account, he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ nine years before he himself received the priesthood!

Let's look again at Smith’s prophecies directly.  In Doctrine and Covenants 87:2, Smith predicted that the American Civil War would “be poured out upon all nations.”  This did not occur.  In Doctrine and Covenants 84:4-5, he prophesied that a temple would be built in Independence, Missouri during that generation.  There is still no such temple.  The list goes on.  He obviously fails the test of a prophet as outlined in Deuteronomy 18:21-22.

Paul warned of false prophets in 2 Corinthians 11:13, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”  As for the Book of Mormon, and its claim as the “fullness of the everlasting gospel,” Paul wrote in Galatians 1:8-9, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

The evidence is clear that the Book of Mormon cannot be correct, and Joseph Smith was a false prophet who has deceived many.  The truth is that the Bible contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We cannot and should not blaspheme Almighty God by presuming that we can someday become gods, as the LDS doctrine of eternal progression teaches.  Satan’s first recorded lie to Adam and Eve was a promise that they would be godlike in their knowledge if they simply disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit.  False prophets have perpetuated the lie that promises godhood or godlike qualities ever since. 

You can't help buy wonder why there isn’t a huge apostasy from Mormonism in light of the compelling evidence.  I can think of two primary reasons.  Many sincere Latter Day Saints simply do not know the evidence, and are discouraged from investigating it.  A Christian friend of mine had an LDS friend was told by her Bishop and her husband to stop investigating the claims of their founding “prophet.”  Why discourage honest investigation?  Acts 17:11 tells us that the Bereans were of noble character because they “searched the scriptures daily” to see if what Paul was preaching was the truth.  Unfortunately, my Christian friend's LDS friend yielded to pressure from her husband and bishop, and ultimately broke off social contact with her.

The other reason has to deal with courage versus comfort.  In my next post I will share a video of former Mormons who left the LDS Church for the true gospel of Jesus Christ after they realized that Joseph Smith was a false prophet.  These are some of the most courageous people I've ever heard about, as a few of them suffered severe pressure, persecution, and isolation from their LDS families, friends, and community.  I’ve heard of other Mormons who admitted  that they knew Mormonism was a false religion based on the lies of a false prophet, but were too afraid to leave the Church for fear of the same kind of treatment.  They had comfortable lives as tithing members of the LDS Church, and were too afraid to face the potential loss of family, friends, and indeed, their entire social circle should they leave. 

Most Mormons I’ve known have been very sincere, decent people.  Many hold their religious beliefs strongly.  When those beliefs are shown to fail the test in the light of the truth of the gospel, it can be a frightening and life-altering event.  Members of the LDS Church can choose to ignore or excuse the evidence, or they can face it with courage.   As I described in an earlier post, Mormon missionaries tell people to pray to see if the Book of Mormon is true.  I encourage the reader to read your Bible in depth, as a Berean would, to see if the points in this post are true or false. 

As I wrap up my examination of the Mormon faith let me assure anyone who is reading this who is Mormon, that I am witnessing to you in truth and love.  The facts and truth should shake the foundations of your religious beliefs that you most likely have held true as a Mormon. My aim is to let God’s love and compassion shine through me as I witness the true gospel of Jesus Christ in my posts on Mormonism and in my blog in general.  In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Jesus is the way, and He is the only way.  Many have been deceived by Joseph Smith Jr., and need to come face to face with the fact that their founding prophet was a false prophet who introduced a false gospel.  Facing the truth can sometimes have some difficult consequences on earth, but life on earth is temporary.  Denying the truth can have eternal consequences. My hope and prayer is that you take the time to truly examine and research what the truth is, whether you are Mormon or not...if you have read this far than you are clearly seeking spiritual truth and I pray that you will take the time and effort to find it.

Thank you for reading Living A Spirit Filled Life and may God bless you!

_________________________________________________
Sources used

Doctrines of Salvation (Complete three-volume work) Sermons and writings of Joseph Fielding Smith

Comprehensive History of the Church by B.H. Roberts

History of the Church, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,  BYU Studies, by Joseph Fielding Smith

Book of Mormon, Doctorine and Covenants

The Bible, NIV

Joseph Smith explained: Part three: Translation of The Book of Abraham Papryi

There are many proofs that Joseph Smith was a false prophet, but Mormons typically will not accept them. From the biblical evidence that contradicts Mormon theology to the contradictions within its own history and doctrine, proofs abound. But the majority of Mormons, completely dedicated to their religion and their testimony, cannot and will not see the evidence. They rely not on biblical evidence--not on historical and archaeological evidence but rather trust a 'testimony' that Mormonism is the restored church and Joseph Smith its true prophet.

During my time of seeking, I looked very deeply into the LDS church. I had several LDS friends and I found them to be some of the most lovely people I've ever met. I was very drawn to their devotion to family and their strong moral compass. In several visits with missionaries, I was told told that I should read the Book of Mormon and pray to God to reveal to me if it was true. I was told I would "feel it" inside if it was true and then I'd have my "testimony". As I have mentioned in past posts, I'm not a person who just jumps into believing in ANYTHING. As a past journalism major and reporter for my college newspaper I was taught to research to find answers. I read the Book of Mormon and I prayed about it. I asked God to give me the answer if what I was reading was true. The Lord prompted me to dig deep and research the church very carefully. So I did. In the end, as much as I wanted it to be true, I found it was not. The proof was undeniable in the research I did. Which is why I did not join the  church and which is why I am devoting so much time to Mormonism in my series on world religions. Honestly, I've devoted a lot of time to studying this religion. In fact, I'm often surprised when I find I know more about the LDS faith then some of the missionaries I've spoken with!  I'm always surprised when I learn that someone follows a certain religion or spiritual movement without doing any research about it at all. Often it is something they were raised in and have never questioned or people just dive into something with blind faith.  In a recent discussion with a Mormon friend, (who has been raised in the LDS church and is now 43 years old) she had NO idea that Mormon's believe they can become Gods of their own planets. She looked at me like I was crazy when I told her this. I prompted her to do the research and be sure she knew exactly what she was giving her time, talents and money too....not to mention what she was raising her children to believe. 

One of the tests of whether or not a belief is grounded in reality is whether or not it can be proven to be true or false. If someone says, "I don't care what evidence you show me, I will always believe," then that person's faith is not rooted in reality. And since Christianity is a religion of history, archaeological proof, witnessed crucifixion, resurrection, an empty tomb, etc., it is a religion rooted in reality. If it could be proven beyond doubt that Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is a false religion. Likewise, if it could be proven that Joseph Smith was a false prophet, then Mormonism is a false religion. It just so happens that there is such a proof.

The Book of Abraham

Joseph Smith claimed that an angel appeared to him and revealed the location of some golden plates on which was written the account of the ancient people of the Americas. Joseph Smith later translated those plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon. This translation was done by the power of God through special means. Joseph Smith, being the Lord's chosen instrument, became the prophet of the Mormon church and held the office of Seer. A Seer, according to the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 8:13, can translate records that are untranslatable. Hence, Joseph Smith was able to translate the golden plates into the Book of Mormon. But his Seer abilities did not stop there.

In July of 1835, an Irishman named Michael Chandler brought an exhibit of four Egyptian mummies and papyri to Kirtland, Ohio--then the home of the Mormons. The papyri contained Egyptian hieroglyphics. In 1835 hieroglyphics were unreadable.

As Prophet and Seer of the Church, Joseph Smith was given permission to look at the papyri scrolls in the exhibit and to everyone's shock, revealed that "one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt." The Church bought the exhibit for $2400. Joseph finished the translation of the Book of Abraham some time later, but the book of Joseph was never translated. The papyri were lost soon afterwards and thought to have been destroyed in a fire in Chicago in 1871. There was, therefore, no way to validate Joseph's translation. If the papyri were re-discovered and translated, it would either prove or disprove the abilities of Joseph as a prophet of God. After all, he was supposed to be a prophet and have the abilities of a Seer as the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham supposedly proved.

In October of 1880, The Pearl of Great Price, a collection of writings, which contained the book of Abraham, was recognized as scripture by the Mormon Church.

The Papyri are found

To every one’s surprise, in 1966 the papyri were rediscovered in one of the vault rooms of the New York’s metropolitan Museum of Art. The Deseret News of Salt Lake City on Nov. 27, 1967 acknowledged the rediscovery of the papyri. On the back of the papyri were "drawings of a temple and maps of the Kirtland, Ohio area." There could be no doubt that this was the original document from which Joseph Smith translated the book of Abraham.

With the papyri rediscovered and Egyptian hieroglyphics decipherable since the late 1800's, it would then be an easy task of translating the papyri and proving once and for all that Joseph Smith was a prophet with the gift of "Seer" as he and the Mormon church have claimed. This would then prove the truth of the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham and would vindicate Joseph Smith as a true prophet of God.

What do the Experts say?

Joseph Smith copied three drawings from the Egyptian scrolls, labeled them Facsimile No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 and incorporated them into the Book of Abraham with explanations of what they were. Egyptologists have viewed the drawings and found Joseph Smith's interpretation of them to be wrong. But, the Mormons, in defense of the sacred book, maintained that the Facsimiles alone were not sufficient to prove that Joseph Smith was erring in his translating abilities. With the rediscovery of the papyri, not only were there the same drawings in the scrolls but also so was the text from which Joseph Smith made his translation. It was now possible to absolutely determine the accuracy of Smith's translating abilities.

Facsimile No. 1

Joseph Smith said that Facsimile No. 1 was of a bird as the "Angel of the Lord" with "Abraham fastened upon an altar," "being offered up as a sacrifice by a false priest. The pots under the altar were various gods "Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, Korash, Pharaoh," etc.

In reality, this is "an embalming scene showing the deceased lying on a lion-couch."

In the original papyri, this drawing is attached to hieroglyphics (See figure A) from which Joseph derived the beginning of the book of Abraham which begins with the words, "In the Land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my father, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence". In reality, the hieroglyphics translate as, "Osiris shall be conveyed into the Great Pool of Khons--and likewise Osiris Hor, justified, born to Tikhebyt, justified -- after his arms have been placed on his heart and the Breathing permit (which [Isis] made and has writing on its inside and outside) has been wrapped in royal linen and placed under his left arm near his heart; the rest of the mummy-bandages should be wrapped over it. The man for whom this book was copied will breath forever and ever as the bas of the gods do."

"It is the opening portion of an Egyptian Shait en Sensen, or Book of Breathings . . . a late funerary text that grew out of the earlier and more complex Book of the Dead." "This particular scroll was prepared (as determined by handwriting, spelling, content, etc.) sometime during the late Ptolemaic or early Roman period (circa 50 B.C. to A.D. 50)."

Figure A

Figure A is a professional reconstruction of the original (Figure B). Note the hieroglyphics on the right side from which Joseph Smith began his translation of the Book of Abraham.

In actuality, it "depicts the mythical embalming and resurrection of Osiris, Egyptian god of the underworld. Osiris was slain by his jealous brother Set, who cut up his body into 16 pieces and scattered them . . . The jackal-headed god Anubis is shown embalming the body of Osiris on the traditional lion-headed couch so that he might come back to life . . . "

Figure B
Figure B (to the right) shows a reprint of the actual papyrus used by Joseph Smith.  Note the areas where the Papyrus has been lost. It is in these that Joseph Smith "finished" the drawing resulting in Facsimile No. 1. His restoration, according to Egyptologists, reveals a complete lack of understanding of Egyptian practice and theology.

Facsimile No. 2

As is explained by Joseph Smith and included in the Pearl of Great Price, the second drawing contains different scenes which Joseph Smith interpreted. They vary: "Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God." "Stands next to Kolob, called by the Egyptians Oliblish, which is the next grand governing creation near to the celestial or the place where God resides." "God, sitting upon his throne, clothed with power and authority." " . . . this is one of the governing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun, and to borrow its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand Key . . . "

But again scholarship disagrees with Joseph’s rendition. "It is actually a rather common funerary amulet termed a hypocephalus, so-called because it was placed under (hypo) a mummy’s head (cephalus). Its purpose was to magically keep the deceased warm and to protect the body from desecration by grave robbers."

Facsimile No. 3

According to Smith, this drawing shows "Abraham sitting upon Pharaoh’s throne, by the politeness of the king, with a crown upon his head, representing the Priesthood . . . King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head . . . Signifies Abraham in Egypt . . . Olimlah, a slave belonging to the prince . . . "

But this is not what the Egyptologists say is the meaning of Facsimile No. 3. Instead, it shows "the deceased being led before Osiris, god of the dead, and behind the enthroned Osiris stands his wife Isis."

Conclusion

It should be quite obvious by this expert analysis of the papryi,  that Joseph Smith did not translate the Book of Abraham by the power of God as he had claimed. It follows that if he did not translate the Book of Abraham by the power of God, then it would be very easy to conclude that he did not translate the Book of Mormon by the power of God either.

When Joseph first gave his translation, hieroglyphics were undecipherable. Today they are. He was safe in saying anything he wanted to, and there would be no way of proving him wrong. But with the resurfacing of the same papyri he used to do his Book of Abraham translation and the fact that he did not in any way do it correctly should be proof enough that Joseph Smith lied about his abilities from God. He has been shown more than once to be a false prophet.

• Sources Used
• History of the Church, vol. 2, July 1835, p. 236
• Improvement Era, Jan. 1968, p. 25; as cited in Charles M. Larson, "By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus," Institute for Religious Research, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-4604, 1992.
• Walters, Wesley P., Joseph Smith Among the Egyptians, 1973, Reprinted by Utah Lighthouse Ministry, Box 1884, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110.
•  Dr. Klaus The Breathing Permit of Hor: A Translation of the Apparent Source of the Book of Abraham, p. 119-120, as cited in Wesley Walters, Joseph Smith Among the Egyptians.
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Joseph Smith examined: Part two: Prophet of God?

Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claimed to be a prophet of God.  Was he a prophet of the true and living  God?  There are two ways to find out.  First, compare what he says regarding Scripture (The Bible) and if what the Prophet teaches contradicts Scripture (The Bible), then he is false.  The second way is to examine any prophecies that he has made.  If a single prophecy fails, then the person is a false prophet.

Please note that having several fulfilled prophecies and even a single false prophecy still means that the  person is not a true prophet of God. The test for a prophet is not if he gets them most right but all right.  The Bible tells us . . .

"But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ ²¹ "And you may say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ ²² "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." (Deut.18:20-22) .  

We can see that the criteria of a true prophet is not failing when predicting the future.  This is because God, who is outside of time and the creator of the universe, makes no mistakes when he tells us what will happen.  Those prophets whom he has called will not make a mistake and prophesy the future since to do so would mean the person is not speaking on God's behalf.  Therefore, if anyone claims to be a prophet of God and speaks in the name of God and gives a prophecy that fails, then the person is not of God.

Did Joseph Smith make any prophecies?  Yes, he did.  Here are just a few of his false prophecies.

False prophecies of Joseph Smith

1. History of the Church
   1. Prophecy about Jesus' return within 56 years--"President Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because God had commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit. He then gave a revelation of some of the circumstances attending us while journeying to Zion--our trials, sufferings; and said God had not designed all this for nothing, but He had it in remembrance yet; and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, for the coming of the Lord, which was nigh--even fifty-six years should wind up the scene." (History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 189). 
   2. Jesus did not return within fifty-six years when 1891 arrived.
2. Doctrine and Covenants
   1. Prophecy that the temple would be built in Missouri within Smith's Generation--"Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion,  which shall be the city of New Jerusalem. ³ Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. ⁴ Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. ⁵ For verily this generation shall not all pass away until a house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house . . .  Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses for the sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed." (Doctrines and Covenants 84:2-5,31.)  
      1. The Mormons were driven out of Jackson County in 1833.  They were not gathered there in accordance to this prophecy dealing with building the temple.
      2. The prophecy clearly states that the generation present when the prophecy was given would not pass away until the temple was built at the western boundaries of the state of Missouri which is in Independence.  This clearly failed.
   2. All Nations would be involved in the American Civil War--"Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; ² And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. ³ For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations," (Doctrine and Covenants 87:1-3).  
      1. This is clearly another false prophecy since all nations did not get involved in the American Civil War.
   3. Prophesy that the earth will tremble and the sun be hidden in "not many days": "For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree," (Doctrine and Covenants 88:87) 
      1. The sun hasn't yet been hidden nor has the moon hidden its face.
      2. This prophecy was given on 12/27/1832.  "Not many days hence"?  Since the writing of this article on 6/22/06, it has been 63,364 days or 173 years, 5 months, 26 days.  I think that 63,364 days is more than "not many days".
         1. For reference to January 1, 2000 it was 61,000 days (even), or 167 years, 5 days.
3. Pearl of Great Price
   1. Prophecy that Isaiah 11 was about to be fulfilled--"In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the day had not yet come when 'they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people,' but soon would come," (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith, History, verse 40).
      1. Isaiah 11:6-9 says, "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. ⁷Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. ⁹They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea."
         1. This has not yet been fulfilled.  The wolf is not dwelling with the lamb, the calf and the lion are not together, nor are the cow and bear grazing together.  The lion is not eating straw like an ox.  Nursing children are not playing in the dens of cobras.

Joseph Smith examined: Part one: The gold plates

Joseph Smith (12/23/1805-6/27/1844) is the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons.  Joseph was born in Sharon, Vermont in 1805.  His family moved to Palmyra, New York in 1816.  In 1820 he claimed to have received a visit from God the Father; and Jesus who told him that all churches were wrong.  Then in 1823 he received a visit from the angel Moroni and was told about golden plates.  He received them in 1827. Smith was given the supernatural ability to translate the plates (which were supposedly written in Reformed Egyptian) into what is now known as The Book of Mormon--which is supposed to be a history of the Nephites and Laminites who inhabited the Americas about 2000 years ago.  Smith formed the Church of Christ in 1830, the same year the Book of Mormon was printed.  In 1834 the name was changed to "The Church of Latter-day Saints."  It was changed again in 1838 to "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

He and his followers were persecuted and moved from Kirtland, Ohio to Zion, Missouri and Navoo, Illinois.  When bad publicity about him was printed, he destroyed the printing press, was arrested, and later was murdered in his jail cell by an angry mob in 1844.

The question is this: Was Joseph Smith truly a prophet? Did he actually find golden plates that he translated into The Book of Mormon? In the next few posts I will attempt to answer these questions . Below I am sharing an article which I feel does a great  job  in giving details regarding the golden plates.

Problems with the Gold Plates of the Book of Mormon

Article ID: JAF3342 | By: Bill McKeever

EQUIP Others:

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This article first appeared in Christian Research Journal, volume 34, number 02 (2011). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org

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SYNOPSIS

The story of the gold plates is an absolutely essential part of the Mormon narrative, for in the eyes of many Latter-day Saints, the coming forth of this record, and its subsequent translation into the Book of Mormon, legitimizes their belief that Smith was indeed a prophet sent by God to restore the true Christian faith lost long ago due to a “great apostasy.” The story of the gold plates cannot be underestimated, for without them there can be no Book of Mormon. Though many members of the LDS Church are very familiar with this story, the details surrounding how Smith obtained the plates, how he “translated” the plates, and how a few chosen men saw the plates, have compelled some within the LDS Church to challenge the main components of the account in order to make it sound more credible.

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OBTAINING THE PLATES

As with much of LDS history, Smith’s retrieval of the gold plates is a story of incredible drama. Several LDS historians and Church manuals have repeated the story given by Lucy Mack Smith, the mother of the Mormon prophet.¹ In her account, she says that her son took the plates from their secret place and, “wrapping them in his linen frock, placed them under his arm and started for home.” After “traveling some distance,” he “came to a large windfall, and as he was jumping over a log, a man sprang up from behind it and gave him a heavy blow with a gun. Joseph turned around and knocked him down, then ran at the top of his speed.”² She said her son was attacked twice more, and since there is no record of Smith rendering his assailants unconscious or incapacitated, we must assume he outran them for at least a portion of the distance necessary to reach the Smith home three miles away. We must also assume that he did all this with a slight limp that he received from a childhood surgery.

THE WEIGHT OF THE GOLD PLATES

There is no uniform consensus as to the size or weight of the plates Joseph Smith claimed to have in his possession. Contemporaries of Smith gave varying dimensions for the plates, as well as a wide range of estimated weights. Some say the plates weighed as much as sixty pounds, while others, like Joseph Smith’s father, said the plates weighed as little as thirty pounds.

Smith claimed the record he received from the angel was “six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin.” He also said the “volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed.”³ Given these dimensions, we can conclude that the plates were one-sixth of a cubic foot. Since gold weighs 1,204 pounds per cubic foot, we can agree with LDS Apostle John Widtsoe who said, “If the gold were pure, [the plates] would weigh two hundred pounds, which would be a heavy weight for a man to carry, even though he were of the athletic type of Joseph Smith.”⁴ Though several illustrations of the plates depict what looks like a virtual compressed set of metal sheets, Mormons often insist that handmade gold plates would not lay perfectly flat, thus allowing for air gaps between the leaves, making them much lighter. This argument ignores the fact that gold, while an extremely dense metal, is also very soft. The very weight of the plates themselves would eliminate any air gaps, thus making the plates a virtual block of gold.

Mormons are compelled to offer a solution that responds to the weight problem as well as the ductility problem. The plates must be light enough for a man like Smith to carry and strong enough to prevent any engravings on them from being distorted as they are handed down from generation to generation. Widtsoe, fully aware that solid gold plates presented a problem, offered the following theory:

For the purpose of record keeping, plates made of gold mixed with a certain amount of copper would be better, for such plates would be firmer, more durable and generally more suitable for the work in hand. If the plates were made of eight karat gold, which is gold frequently used in present-day jewelry, and allowing a 10 percent space between the leaves, the total weight of the plates would not be above one hundred and seventeen pounds—a weight easily carried by aman as strong as was Joseph Smith.⁵

Is this theory plausible? As a longtime volunteer at the Utah Lighthouse Book Store in Salt Lake City, I have watched many visitors attempt to lift a replica set of plates that are the same dimensions given by Joseph Smith (6x8x6). Made of lead, the replica weighs 118.3 pounds, or a little over a pound more than the weight suggested by Widtsoe. Most are unable to even budge the replica. On the second try, some do lift the plates, but only barely off its pedestal. Everyone who attempts to lift the replica admits it is impossible to carry such a weight for a distance of three miles, much less run at top speed to avoid thieves wanting to steal them.

Realizing that the story, as told, is quite impossible, many Mormons resort to assuming that God gave Smith supernatural strength to carry the plates. Mormons who offer this explanation at least seem to recognize that the story needs a bit of revision to be believable. However, such an explanation is nothing more than an argument from silence. Smith never said he needed God’s help to carry (or run with) the plates, and he certainly never gave God credit for enabling him to do so.

One of the best arguments against supernatural intervention is the witness of the Mormon apologetic community, which realizes that there is no evidence supporting the need for supernatural strength. To salvage the story, Mormon apologists have worked hard to concoct a theory that gets the weight of the plates down to a manageable level. If God really intervened by bestowing Smith and others with superhuman abilities, this would be unnecessary.

In an article for the LDS New Era magazine, Kirk B. Henrichsen boldly affirms, “Neither Joseph nor any of the witnesses said that the ancient record was made from solid gold. Nor did they use the term ‘gold plates,’ or ‘plates of gold.’”⁶ Henrichsen’s assertion is not entirely correct. In 1989, thirteenth president Gordon B. Hinckley cited the words of Book of Mormon witness Oliver Cowdery, who said, “I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was translated.”⁷ In an interview that appeared in the Saint’s Herald, David Whitmer, another one of the Three Witnesses, stated that the plates were made of “pure gold.”⁸

In 1829, Lucy Mack Smith wrote a letter to Mary Smith Pierce explaining how God showed Joseph “where he could dig to obtain an ancient record engraven upon plates made of pure gold and this he is able to translate.”⁹ How did Lucy arrive at this conclusion? Is it possible she learned that from her son? In 1999, the LDS Church News printed an editorial titled “Hands on Opportunity” that stated how Joseph Smith was “entrusted with plates of solid gold.”¹⁰

Though LDS leaders often continue to use the phrases “gold plates” or “plates of gold,” some Mormons, including Henrichsen, interpret this to be a reference to the color of the plates rather than the content. Many who espouse this theory also believe that the plates were probably made of an alloy. There are at least two reasons why they must draw this conclusion. First, plates made of solid gold would be too heavy for any man to carry. The second reason involves the soft composition of gold. Mormon apologist John Welch notes that “pure gold would be too soft to make useful plates.”¹

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Though I tend to agree with Welch that plates of pure gold would be too fragile to be useful, the fact remains that Mosiah 8:9 in the Book of Mormon speaks of twenty-four Jaredite plates “which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold.” The translation of these plates allegedly makes up the present-day Book of Ether found near the end of the Book of Mormon.

THE TUMBAGA THEORY

Recognizing that plates of pure gold are not feasible, many Mormon apologists have turned to an LDS metallurgist named Read Putnam, who has proffered the theory that the plates were made of a lighter Central American alloy called tumbaga. John Sorenson, a retired professor from Brigham Young University, wrote, “R. H. Putnam has argued persuasively that the Book of Mormon plates that were in Joseph Smith’s hands were of tumbaga. (Had they been unalloyed gold, they would have been too heavy for a single person to carry).”¹²

Tumbaga is an alloy composed mostly of gold and copper, the percentage or carat weight of each metal varying dramatically. Given the name by the Spanish conquerors, examples of tumbaga artifacts have been found throughout Central America. When treated with an acid, such as citric acid, the gold portion on the surface of the object becomes predominant. It can then be polished.

It makes sense that Mormons who argue for tumbaga plates also insist that the Book of Mormon lands were in Central America. However, this “limited geography” theory is in and of itself a controversy within Mormon circles. While many BYU professors are proponents of the limited geography theory, there is a growing number of members who insist that the Book of Mormon lands were located in the northeastern United States, where tumbaga is not found.

Putnam refused to accept the idea that Smith needed supernatural strength to carry the plates. In an article published in the LDS magazine Improvement Era, he wrote,

“The plates were not so heavy that a man could not carry them. Joseph Smith was a man of youth and vigor, yet Mormon was 74 years of age when he turned them over to his son. (See Morm. 6:6) We are not led to believe that the weight of the plates was a great hindrance. The witnesses testified that they had ‘hefted’ them, indicating the weight seemed tolerable.”¹³

Putnam stated that the tumbaga plates could not have been made of an “extremely low-gold alloy because of the danger of electrolysis and brittleness.” He noted that “there is one property of tumbaga that should be remembered. When the copper content is particularly high and the gilding not perfect, the whole inside of the alloy beneath the gilding skin will destroy itself with electrolysis.”¹⁴ At the same time, he surmised that they “were probably not of an extremely high-gold-alloy either, since the weight would thereby be increased.”¹⁵

Given these factors, Putnam offers approximate weights based solely on mathematical figures regarding plates made of 8-carat gold and 12-carat gold. He concludes that plates made of 8-carat gold, with “3-percent native impurity would weigh 106.88 pounds.” Assuming that the plates were not perfectly flat, he then arbitrarily adds, not a 10 percent air gap as John Widtsoe did, but an amazing 50 percent air gap! By doing so, he estimates that the plates probably weighed fifty-three pounds. Using the same capricious estimate of a 50 percent air gap, he concludes the heavier 12-carat plates would weigh 86.83 pounds. This naturally assumes that all six inches of the plates contained a 50 percent air gap between each plate. Though tumbaga is generally stronger than pure gold, it is likely that the plates at the bottom of the stack would flatten out due to the weight of six inches worth of plates.

Mormon apologists have welcomed Putnam’s estimates because they substantially lighten Joseph Smith’s load, but do they really solve the dilemma? Though carrying fifty pounds under his arm is definitely more believable than carrying gold plates weighing as much at two hundred pounds, this is still an incredibly difficult task. It is like carrying the equivalent of a bag of redi-mix concrete or three 8x8x8 concrete blocks under one’s arm.¹⁶

In 2009, the LDS Church showcased a temporary display at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City that allowed visitors to feel how heavy Joseph Smith’s gold plates were. Fastened to a handle that enabled a person to lift them without potential injury, visitors were told the plates they were lifting were fifty pounds, or similar to the weight suggested by Putnam. Besides the fact that visitors were only lifting them a few inches and not carrying them for a distance of three miles, the demonstration had a major flaw. The display only included about forty-three plates of an unknown metal; the rest of the “plates” were nothing more than what appeared to be a weighted chunk of plaster.

Why did the LDS Church display a replica that was not composed entirely of metal pages? Certainly this multi-billion dollar corporation could easily afford to use a comparable metal and produce a facsimile in 2009 that was at least close to what they believe ancient Nephites made long ago. Instead, visitors were provided a replica that conformed merely to an arbitrary weight, suggesting the church may have been unable to produce an all-metal replica light enough to lift.

TRANSLATING THE PLATES

While many paintings and drawings depict Joseph Smith looking directly at the plates during the translation process, Smith himself said the Lord provided “two stones in silver bows” that he called the “Urim and Thummim.” Fastened to a breastplate, they resembled large spectacles that enabled Smith to translate the plates into English.¹⁷ I can’t recall any church publication depicting Smith wearing such a device.

Eyewitnesses of the translation say Smith actually used a small egg-shaped stone, called a seer stone, to translate the plates. In her testimony, Smith’s widow Emma described what she saw as she worked as her husband’s scribe: “I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.”¹⁸

In 1993, Mormon Apostle Russell M. Nelson recounted the testimony of David Whitmer who concurred with Emma’s description. Whitmer said that when Smith placed the rock in a hat, “a piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English.”¹⁹ Since such descriptions show how Smith didn’t need to look at the plates, one can only wonder why God risked Smith’s safety to obtain them in the first place.

THE ELEVEN WITNESSES

For many Mormons, the incredible weight of the plates, as well as how they were translated, is irrelevant when compared to the testimony of eleven witnesses who say they actually saw the plates. This too, however, becomes a suspicious part of Mormon history when we decipher what they meant by “seeing.” Mormon historian Marvin Hill concedes that the “evidence is extremely contradictory in this area, but there is a possibility that the three witnesses saw the plates in vision only.”²⁰

In a revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 17:2, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were told that it was by faith they would obtain a view of the plates. This event did not take place in the room where Smith had allegedly been translating the plates, but out in the woods. It was after retiring to the woods that Smith and the three men tried “to obtain, by fervent and humble prayer,” the fulfillment of that revelation. One might ask why they needed prayer to see a tangible, physical object. When praying did not result in a “manifestation of divine favor,” Martin Harris excused himself, thinking he was the hindrance. Once he left, the remaining three men prayed again and an angel stood before them holding the plates. Smith then went to find Harris who was a “considerable distance” away. The two men prayed and the “same vision” was opened to their view.²¹ Eight more men insisted they, too, “saw” the plates, but again the evidence suggests that they saw them with spiritual eyes or in “vision.”

A “Sudden Death” Proposition

According to Mormon Apostle Jeffrey Holland, “Everything of saving significance in the Church stands or falls on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and, by implication, the Prophet Joseph Smith’s account of how it came forth is as sobering as it is true. It is a ‘sudden death’ proposition. Either the Book of Mormon is what the Prophet Joseph said it is, or this Church and its founder are false, a deception from the first instance onward.”²² Though such a comment may bolster the faith of many Latter-day Saints, the evidence suggests that the story of Smith recovering the gold plates, revered by many faithful Latter-day Saints, is nothing but a fabrication of Smith’s fertile mind. Looking at the big picture it seems clear that Smith never had an ancient record of historical people who once inhabited the American continent. Without the gold plates, the Book of Mormon is relegated to nothing more than a nineteenth-century fictional novel.

Bill McKeever is the founder and president of Mormonism Research Ministry (www.mrm.org), a Christian ministry based in the Salt Lake City area of Utah. Bill is the author of four books, including In Their Own Words: A Collection of Mormon Quotations (Morris Publishing, 2010).

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NOTES

1. See Richard L. Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005), 60. See also Church History in the Fulness of Times: Religion 341 through 343 (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003), 44–45.
2. Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother (Salt Lake City: Stevens and Wallis, 1945), 108.
3. History of the Church (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1973), 4:537.
4. John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr., Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1937), 37.
5. Widtsoe and Harris, 37.
6. Henrichsen, “What Did the Golden Plates Look Like?” New Era, July 2007, 29.
7. Gordon Hinckley, Ensign, May 1989, 46.
8. Saints’ Herald, February 15, 1878, 57.
9. Dean C. Jessee, “Lucy Mack Smith’s 1829 Letter to Mary Smith Pierce,” BYU Studies, Fall 1982, 461.
10. Church News, May 15, 1999, 16. It should be noted that the electronic version of this article has changed the phrase, “solid gold plates,” to read simply, “gold plates”; http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/35786/Hands-on-opportunity.html.
11. John W. Welch, ed., Reexploring the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992), 276.
12. John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1996), 283.
13. Read H. Putnam, “Were the Golden Plates Made of Tumbaga?” The Improvement Era, September 1966, 789.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid., 830.
16. In an article for the Mormon Times (Scholar’s Corner, “Taking the Golden Plates and Running” [October 8, 2010]: 8), Michael De Groote (who accepts the arbitrary fifty-pound weight of the plates) responds to a person who questioned Smith’s account and admitted, “I cannot pick up a 50-pound object and run through a forest.” In a sardonic tone, De Groote ends his article by saying, “Joseph, however, could. And I pity those who caught him.”
17. Joseph Smith, History 1:35.
18. Emma Smith Bidamon, “Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints Herald, October 1, 1879, 289.
19. Russell M. Nelson, “A Treasured Testament,” Ensign, July 1993, 61. Citing David Whitmer,An Address to All Believers in Christ, 12.
20. “Brodie Revisited: A Reappraisal,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 7, 4 (1972): 83.
21. History of the Church (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1973), 1:52–55.
22. Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book ofMormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997), 345–46.