Why did God choose Joseph Smith? Why wouldn't God choose the pope, who could have handed down edicts to millions of believing Catholics the world over and reformed the most amount of people? It doesn't matter that the Gold Plates just "happened" to be in JS's neighborhood--the Vatican could have easily dispatched someone to dig up Cumorah.

For that matter, He could have visited any leader of any great church who ruminated on great truths and had great questions, and He would have had millions of "reformed" converts instantly.

Oh no, He waited to fix 1,800 years of apostasy because some kid asked.

GOD waited? GOD WAITED.....until some KID asked....after all those years and all that "falling away"??

I have the same questions, and I am/was a mormon.
Also, in order to reach the masses, wouldnt it have been better to wait a couple thousand years to send Christ to earth to deliver the gospel thru the modern media?
Ooops!! I forgot,.... that was Joseph Smith's and the latter day prophet's purpose.

*** Epic Fail ***

And, of course, the obvious question (that skeptics have been asking for years about ANY religion, BTW): why did Jesus and his Dad show up to only JS... i.e. one person? If Jesus came floating down to Mesoamerica or upstate NY or wherever with his cool anti-gravity gizmo after he got killed by the Romans, why didn't he make a general visit to a huge crowd in New York City in the Latter Days and tell THEM that JS was the Prophet of the restoration, so listen up!

I mean, if it wasn't the official Second Coming, then he could show up to a bunch people just as well as one; if he showed himself to JS "in the flesh", then is THAT the Second Coming?

Also, of course, the Mormons like to tell their history stories about half the Bible characters (plus a few new ones, as well George Washington and other dudes) showing up to JS and his buddies...

It makes me want to cuss.....

I always wondered why God had all those people die on their way to Utah. Would it really have killed him to wait a few years and send everyone out after the railroad was built?

Also, why Utah? It seems to me that California would have been a much bigger draw, and much easer to get to via ship.