Posted by SWN on July 08, 1998 at 16:56:56:
In Reply to: my point being posted by Trixie on July 08, 1998 at 13:03:53:
There are many scholars, both Mormon and non Mormon, who would disagree with you.
First of all, your reasoning is flawed when you say that the only way to validate
the Book of Mormon is with the plates that they were translated from.
One of the beautiful things about books of history, especially ancient history, is
that there are many records both known and unknown that will either verify or nullify
those records. In the case of the Book of Mormon, I can't think of any ancient records
discovered thus far that have cast a shadow over the Book of Mormon's validity. In fact,
just the contrary.
For years critics ridiculed Joseph Smith for suggesting that ancient civilizations used
metal plates to keep records, and now that it has been shown that Joseph Smith was correct
the critics are now saying it doesn't matter because we don't have the original plates.
They can't have it both ways.
Consider the following Information:
James H. Charlesworth of Duke University, analyzes the concepts associated with the Messiah
from the ancient Jewish viewpoint, in two literatures. The Pseudepigrapha, and the Book of
Mormon. It is unusually interesting to see what serious minded scholars find when they bother
to look seriously into the Book of Mormon. They don't find a phony, fake three dollar bill of
a document as anti-Mormon critics scream about at all, rather, a sober, serious, wonderful
document well worth exploring. Charelsworth's article was printed in Truman G. Madsen, ed.,
Reflections on Mormonism: Judeo-Christian Parallels. The BYU Religious Studies Center
Symposium held in 1984.
The Book of Mormon *Has* Been Used as a Geographical Guidebook!
The decade from 1975-1985 may very well be a turning point in scientific,archaeological and
historical information about the Book of Mormon. This was the decade that demonstrated the
Book of Mormon *can* and *was* used as a geographical guide through the Arabian Desert.
The Book of Mormon opens for its first several years of recording in the Arabian Desert.
Is it factual? Does it show consistent and internally consistent knowledge as well as
correct geographical, biological and climactic information? Yes, yes, and a thousand times
yes. The Hilton's were asked by the "Ensign" Magazine to go back to Arabia and re-trace the
steps of Lehi. Could this be done?
It *has* been done, and with Arabian guides using the BofM to help them locate the important
sites mentioned, in of all places, the very BofM! Since the *first* time of learning that
these places actually existed was in the early 1920's, this increases our interest considerably.
How *could* Joseph Smith have known, since no one else did in the Western World until 1929?
Consider the evidence from the Hilton's discovery through Arabia, with the Arabians themselves
using the BofM as the correct guide.
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