Problems in Mormon scriptures that the Mormon can't explain (first in a possible series):

"the Sun [or Son?] of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2 vs. 3 Nephi 25:2) The 25th chapter of 3 Nephi is identical to the King James translation of Malachi 4, with two modifications, one very minor, and one that betrays the English origin of the Book of Mormon. Where Malachi says "...ye shall... grow up as calves OF the stall" Nephi says "...ye shall... grow up as calves IN the stall." That is insignificant.

But the other change is where Malachi says "the Sun of righteousness [shall arise]"; Nephi has "the Son of righteousness." Although the two words 'sun' and 'son' sound identical in English, Malachi was writing in Hebrew, and the Hebrew words for 'sun' and 'son' are quite dissimilar, as is the imagery and meaning of the two words. Only in English could such a confusion occur. Since the error makes a considerable difference in the meaning, one must ask why God did not correct the error when the scribe was writing the Prophet's dictation of this passage? (The JST translation of Malachi has "Sun".)

It is interesting to note that an article published in 1822 in Canandaigua, New York, (a few miles from where Joseph Smith lived) makes the same mistake in discussing Malachi 4:2, quoting it as "Son of Righteousness" (cited in David Persuitte, Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon (second edition) p. 131).

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, in his Mormon Doctrine, article "Son of Righteousness" treats 'son' and 'sun' as having the same meaning. It appears that Mormon theology works only in English.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2013 07:58PM by RPackham.

An astute LDS polemicist would merely refer you to
Star Trek, the original series, season 2, episode 54.

There the same religious misuse of "sun" occurs, with
Dr. McCoy seemingly taking the non-Mormon view of things.

UD

Uncle Dale Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> An astute LDS polemicist would merely refer you to
>
> Star Trek...

Or, perhaps to an 1832 religious treatise, in which the
writers are aware of the seeming mis-match between
"Sun" and "Son," and conflate them, nevertheless:


8. First, I declare, that this woman which the Revelation of John speaketh of, was the Virgin Mary which bare Christ, and this was that woman which was clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars over her head, as John speaketh of, Rev. xii. 1.
9. This sun which the woman was clothed with, was the person of Christ, the Son of God, or Son of Righteousness, which should arise with healing in his wings, as the scripture saith.
10 The moon under her feet did signify the law of Moses, that is, that there should be no eternal happiness looked for now by the righteousness of the law; therefore the righteousness of the law should be trod under foot by the Son of Righteousness, which is the righteousness of faith.

UD

In the later star trek series one can also find hidden reference to Kolob,

Couldn't this have happened when Joseph was dictating to Oliver - and Oliver wrote "son" instead of "sun"?

IIRC there are some similar errors that the Tanners identified where it looks like the scribe misheard the dictation.

This means God didn't prompt Joseph to correct Oliver. And Joseph didn't bother proof reading.

Interestingly, although Oliver had to be in on the scam (his reports of angel visitations and the initial vision to go to help Joseph point to his direct involvement), this does indicate that the pair were dictating from one text to write out a final copy. If Oliver were reading directly from the KJV to compile the BoM as they created it, then he would not have made so many dictation mistakes.

The element that would stump a missionary is the correct version in the JST. If you pointed out the difference between the OT and the BoM, the standard Mormon response is to say that God corrected the biblical error in the BoM. That is where you point to the original version being repeated in the JST. There are a number of instances of this in the BoM/JST.

Temples face east for that's where the son (sun) returns.

Amen Ra.

"It appears that Mormon theology works only in English."

True. I learned 'the gospel' according to the lds church in a language other than English. Some things were so different that I thought it really was revelation. Others were just confusing. I often thought that the 'gospel' made more sense when I read the scripture in English. Even the hymns made some sense in Englih.

It wasn't until years later when I re-read the scriptures in both languages that I began to notice how the gospel seem to be so English oriented. It took a short read about he KJV of the Bible influence in the BoM and JS times to get me thinking that it was all plagiarized.

Thanks Richard. I find these things especially fascinating because I'm the last one who would ever have picked up on any of it myself.

I'm sticking to my Reformed English