FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Revision as of 14:10, 13 April 2024
FAIR Answers—back to home page
A FairMormon Analysis of "Difficult Questions for Mormons"
| A FAIR Analysis of: "Difficult Questions for Mormons", a work by author: The Interactive Bible
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| Claim Evaluation |
| Difficult Questions for Mormons |
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Response to section "General Questions"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why did the angel take Nephi Plates back to heaven?"
- Response to claim: "Will you, as a Mormon, please read the Bible cover to cover and ask God to reveal to you that it contains all of God's message to man"
- Response to claim: "If the original 1830 Book of Mormon was inspired then why were there so many errors and changes and additions and deletions"
- Response to claim: "How can we be assured that the translation of the B of M into French or any other language is correct?"
- Response to claim: "How do you account for the stunning parallels in both content and order between the B of M and the View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith?"
- Response to claim: "Why do you only add the phrase, "as far as it is translated correctly" to describe the Bible and not after the book of Mormon?"
- Response to claim: "If the Book of Mormon is true, then why has the Mormon church changed it?"
- Response to claim: "How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily?"
- Response to claim: "If Moroni devoutly practiced the Mormon Gospel, why is he an angel now rather than a God?"
- Response to claim: "Why do Mormons emphasize part of the Word of Wisdom and ignore the part forbidding the eating of meat except in winter, cold or famine?"
- Response to claim: "When Christ died, did darkness cover the land for three days or for three hours?"
- Response to claim: "Joseph Smith said that there are men living on the moon who dress like Quakers and live to be nearly 1000 years old"
- Response to claim: "Joseph Smith prepared fourteen Articles of Faith. Why has the original No. 11 been omitted?"
- Response to claim: "Why did the Nauvoo House not stand forever and ever?"
- Response to claim: "How can a man who is not a descendant of Aaron hold the Aaronic Priesthood? (Numbers 16:40; Heb. 7:13,14)"
- Response to claim: "Since Mormonism teaches that only God the Father had a physical body at the time Adam was created, why did God say, 'Let us make man in OUR image'?"
- Response to claim: "If Jesus was conceived as a result of a physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin?"
- Response to claim: "How did Nephi with a few men on a new continent build a temple like Solomon's while Solomon needed 163,300 workmen and seven years to build his temple?"
- Response to claim: "Why was Joseph Smith still preaching against polygamy in October 1843 after he got his revelation in July 1843 commanding the practice of polygamy?"
- Response to claim: "Why do Mormons memorialize the fall by using fig leaf aprons in the secret temple ceremonies?"
- Response to claim: "How do you explain the fact that 2 Nephi 16:2 is copied from an older version of the KJV of the Bible in Isa 6:2?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Culture"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention Silk (Alma 1:29)?"
- Response to claim: "What about Chariots (Alma 18:9)? There is no evidence of actual wheeled vehicle usage in the 2,000 BC to 400 AD time frame in Ancient America"
- Response to claim: "Why are Cimeters, an Old-World weapon of war, mentioned in Mosiah 9:16 and other verses when none have been found to exist in the New World?"
- Response to claim: "Why have some (like Elder Peterson and Elder Brewerton) used the Quetzalcoatl legend to "prove" the Book of Mormon's Christ when the Quetzalcoatl (or feathered serpent) legend dates to 1,000 years before the Book of Mormon's Christ?"
- Response to claim: "When the Nephites landed in the Americas there were already millions of inhabitants in the land with large cities and infrastructure. Why are these people not mentioned?"
- Response to claim: "Why didn't Nephi compare and contrast the New World with Jerusalem?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon imply a seven day week (Mosiah 13:18) when it was not known to Ancient Americans?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Metallurgy"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention Bellows (1 Nephi 17:11)...?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention...Brass (2 Nephi 5:15)...?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention...Breast Plates & Copper (Mosiah 8:10)...?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention...Iron (Jarom 1:8)...?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention...Gold and Silver currency (Alma 11), Silver (Jarom 1:8)...?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention...Steel Swords (Ether 7:9)?"
- Response to claim: "Tom Ferguson: 'Metallurgy does not appear in the region until about the 9th century A.D.'"
- Response to claim: "Why doesn't the art (which is abundant) of the supposed Book of Mormon cultures portray the existence of metallurgical products or metallurgical activity?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Animals"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals: Ass...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals:...Bull, Calf, Cattle, Cow...Ox...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals:...domestic Goat...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals:...Horse...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals:...domestic Sheep...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals:...Sow, Swine...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon mention the following animals:...Elephants...None of these animals even existed in America during the era and timescale of Book of Mormon times"
- Response to claim: "Why aren't animals such as Coatimundis, Deer, Jaguars, Tapir, Monkeys, Sloths, Turkeys, etc.. mentioned when they were animals that existed?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Crops"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why is plow agriculture such as Barley (Alma 11:7) and Wheat (Mosiah 9:9) included in the Book of Mormon when it didn't exist during that time period?"
- Response to claim: "Why aren't the foods known to ancient America such as chocolate, lima beans, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, manioc, etc. included in the Book of Mormon?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Geography"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why isn't the terrain of Central America described?"
- Response to claim: "Why is it that numerous LDS books and papers describe proposed Book of Mormon locations for cities and the 'narrow neck of land'? No city has been identified as being Nephite, Lamanite, Jaredite, etc."
- Response to claim: "Why didn't any of the place names from the Book of Mormon still exist when Columbus arrived?"
- Response to claim: "Where was the Hill Cumorah? Was it in New York or Central America?"
- Response to claim: "Why don't gaps exist in the archeological record of Mesoamerica if these missing people existed?"
- Response to claim: "Did the Book of Mormon take place outside of Mesoamerica?"
- Response to claim: "Why don't any archeologists theorize any Hebrew or Egyptian linkages or influences in Mesoamerica?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Script"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why are Greek names such as Lachoneus, Timothy, Jonas, and Alpha & Omega in a book that should have absolutely no Greek influence?"
- Response to claim: "Why aren't there other examples of "Reformed Egyptian" in Ancient America?"
- Response to claim: "Why doesn't a linguistical relationship exist between any native American language and ancient Egyptian or Hebrew?"
- Response to claim: "How did the Book of Mormon language evolve so rapidly into non-related Indian languages?"
- Response to claim: "Why are only four main types of Mesoamerican writing systems known (and none in pre-Columbus North America): (Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Maya)?"
- Response to claim: "Why can't the Anthon transcript (which contains copies of the supposed Reformed Egyptian characters) be identified with any forms of Egyptian?"
- Response to claim: "If the Book of Mormon took place outside of Mesoamerica (like in New York where the Hill Cumorah supposedly is), why are written languages of ancient America only found in Mesoamerica?"
- Response to claim: "Why haven't any of the Book of Mormon proper names such as Nephi, Laman, Zarahemla, etc. been found in all of the many writings that have been found in Mesoamerica?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Races"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons?"
- Response to claim: "Why aren't any of the Indian tribes racially or genetically the same as Hebrews?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Joseph Smith send missionaries to the 'Lamanites' if the American Indians at the time weren't really 'Lamanites'?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Witnesses"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why were the witnesses only allowed to see the plates with 'spiritual eyes'?"
- Response to claim: "If the plates were real, why would it take faith to see them?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the church now extol the witnesses when Joseph Smith condemned them?"
- Response to claim: "Why would most of them leave the church?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Brigham Young say that the 3 witnesses doubted and disbelieved in their experience?"
- Response to claim: "Why were all of the witnesses (except Martin Harris) related to Joseph Smith or David Whitmer?"
Response to section "Book of Mormon Style and Inconsistencies"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "If God was inspiring the translation process of the Book of Mormon, why were 4,000 changes necessary?"
- Response to claim: "Why do the stories and the characters in the Book of Mormon repeat with only minor variations in content and different names given to the characters?"
- Response to claim: "Why was the Book of Mormon cast into the KJV style?"
- Response to claim: "Was there a room full of plates in a secret chamber in the hill near Joseph's house as he and Brigham Young said?"
- Response to claim: "Why were clichéd Indian phrases like "Nine Moons" in (Omni 1:21) or "Great Spirit" in (Alma 19:25-27) included?"
- Response to claim: "How did the Jaredites come up with the same rare idea of writing on plates 2,000 years before Lehi when such a record keeping system is virtually unknown?"
- Response to claim: "Why include the ridiculous prayer of the Zoramites in Alma 31?"
- Response to claim: "Why is the Passover mentioned 71 times in the Bible, but -0- times in the Book of Mormon?"
- Response to claim: "How did Book of Mormon characters get the priesthood when they weren't from the tribe of Levi?"
- Response to claim: "Why was Shakespeare used?"
- Response to claim: "What was the purpose in Moroni taking the plates back?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Joseph's own accounts confuse whether he was visited by Moroni or Nephi?"
Response to section "Prophecies in the Book of Mormon"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? Three Witnesses"
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? Charles Anthon story"
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? Columbus described"
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? Joseph Smith's name given. Smith called to be the translator of the Mormon record"
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? Jerusalem destroyed"
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? 600 years until Jesus is born"
- Response to claim: "Why are the prophecies in the Book of Mormon dealing with events that already occurred unrealistically specific? Martin Harris and the lost manuscripts"
- Response to claim: "Why do the unfulfilled prophecies in the Book of Mormon remain unfulfilled? Example: Jews becoming Christian en masse"
- Response to claim: "Why is the Book of Mormon quite specific about Christ but does not add anything that the New Testament does not address (for example, what Christ did from age 12 - 30)?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon prophesy that the Jews would be restored to the land of their inheritance if they believed in Christ (they are occupying it now w/o believing in Christ)?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Alma not know when Christ was coming (Alma 13:21-26) even though he possessed plates and Lehi and Nephi had written precisely when he would arrive?"
Response to section "Influenced by Joseph Smith's background"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why are themes of the revolutionary war and patriotism woven throughout a book supposedly written over a thousand years before the revolutionary war?"
- Response to claim: "Why is an agrarian society similar to the society Joseph was most familiar with described as the setting for the entire book?"
- Response to claim: "Why is a democracy after a monarchy described?"
- Response to claim: "Is it purely coincidental that there was much speculation in Joseph Smith's area about Indian Mounds and battles?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon describe wood forts with pickets to protect people--much like the forts of frontier?"
- Response to claim: "Is it purely coincidental that Lehi had six sons as did Joseph Smith Sr., Sam/Samuel were sons of both, and Nephi and Joseph Smith Jr. were so similar?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Mormon, Nephi and other "heroes" of the Book of Mormon have so many common traits with Joseph Smith?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon repeatedly addresses 19th century readers?"
- Response to claim: "Why is the anti-Masonic excitement that arose near Smith's home in 1827 reflected?"
- Response to claim: "Why is infant baptism condemned in Chapter 8 of Moroni when it wasn't even an issue in the Bible?"
Response to section "Influenced by the KJV of the Bible"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why does the B of M use old KJV type English at a time when it was not currently used"
- Response to claim: "Why is about 1/8th of the B of M copied directly from the KJV (1611AD) when it was alleged to have been written some 1200-2000 years before the KJV existed?"
- Response to claim: "How do you explain the fact that Joseph Smith copied from the KJV but deleted the italicized words in the KJV because he figured they were not in the original?"
- Response to claim: "Why are portions of Isaiah quoted off of the plates of brass when these items weren't written until after Nephi supposedly got the plates out of Laban's treasury?"
- Response to claim: "Why was Paul referred to before his time? (Paul said, "Death where is thy sting")"
- Response to claim: "Why is it that of the 350 names in the Book of Mormon, 100 are found in the Bible, others are place names found on early 19th century maps, and the rest are derivatives of Bible names?"
- Response to claim: "Why didn't Joseph Smith ever acknowledge using the KJV of the Bible to 'translate'?"
- Response to claim: "Why were the following phrases used out of the New Testament supposedly before the New Testament was even thought of--much less written?"
- Response to claim: "Why is a Greek word like "Christ" used throughout the Book of Mormon?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon always follow KJV errors?"
- Response to claim: "Why don't the Book of Mormon quotes from out of the Old Testament agree to earlier Latin, Syriac, Coptic, or Patristic texts?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the phrase 'the lamb of God' appear only in the New Testament portion of the Bible yet it appears in the Book of Mormon over 30 times--28 times in 1 Nephi alone?"
- Response to claim: "Why do the words of Malachi 4:1 appear in 1 Nephi 22:15 over a hundred years before Malachi wrote them?"
- Response to claim: "Why do so many stories seem like exaggerated borrowings from the Bible?"
Response to section "Influenced by happenings of early 19th century America"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon confuse the Old and New Covenants?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon discuss the concept of infinite sins paid by an infinite being? (Alma 12) This idea was originated by Anselm of Canterbury and was a raging debate during the time of Joseph Smith"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon's teachings reflect the religious conflicts of the early 19th century including: grace, infant baptism, ordination, authority, repentance, resurrection, eternal punishment, fall of man, nature of man, fasting, etc.?"
- Response to claim: "Why were there missionaries in the Book of Mormon before Christ? That certainly wasn't the case in the Old World"
- Response to claim: "Why is King Benjamin's oratory like a 19th century camp meeting?"
- Response to claim: "Why do other works early in Joseph Smith's lifetime teach that the Indians were descended from the Hebrews?"
- Response to claim: "Was "View of the Hebrews" one of the sources?"
- Response to claim: "Was Josiah Priest's book "The Wonders of Nature and Providence", copyrighted by him June 2nd, 1824, and printed soon afterwards in Rochester, New York, only some twenty miles distant from Palmyra a source?"
- Response to claim: "Was James Adair's 'A History of the American Indians' a source?"
Response to section "Main themes of Mormonism not in Book of Mormon"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why isn't the Elohim (God) being the father of Jehovah (Jesus) and being once a mortal man discussed?
- Response to claim: "What about God having a body of flesh and bones, God being married, men becoming Gods, temple participation necessary for exaltation, baptism for the dead, Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood, word of wisdom, and 3 degrees of glory?"
- Response to claim: "Why is polygamy condemned in the Book of Mormon, but condoned in the D&C and still believed to be necessary in church doctrine for exaltation in the after-life?"
- Response to claim: "Where are such doctrines as a man having to marry in order to be exalted, member having to wear sacred undergarments, official doctrine being voted upon by the general membership, God being the offspring of another God, etc.?"
Response to section "Treasure Hunting and Magic"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why was Joseph Smith arrested for 'money digging' and convicted of being a disorderly person?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Joseph Smith have to use a seer stone both before and after being called as a prophet?"
- Response to claim: "Why did the Book of Mormon have to be translated while he looked into the seer stone placed in a black top hat?"
- Response to claim: "Why would a prophet need to send members to seek for treasure seen in a vision?"
- Response to claim: "Did the Jaredites magic stones have anything to do with Joseph's acquaintance with magic stones?"
- Response to claim: "Why does the Book of Mormon discuss 'slippery treasure' so much?"
Response to section "First Vision"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "Why do the accounts differ with respect to who was in the vision?"
- Response to claim: "Why doesn't Jesus show up (separate from God) until after the God doctrine had evolved into a plurality of Gods? (i.e., after 1835)"
- Response to claim: "Why don't the early 'prophets' even know the story accurately?"
- Response to claim: "'How did it (the organization) come? By the ministering of an holy angel from God, out of heaven..."
- Response to claim: "'How did the state of things called Mormonism originate? We read that an angel came down and revealed himself to Joseph Smith..."
- Response to claim: "'When the holy angel appeared, Joseph inquired which of all these denominations was right..."
- Response to claim: "Why doesn't any published source mention the 'official' first vision account until 1842--22 years after the 'official' event supposedly happened?"
- Response to claim: "Why doesn't the 1st vision play an important role in Mormon history until the 1860s?"
- Response to claim: "Why isn't there evidence to support the revival described by Joseph Smith in early 1820--yet there is evidence to support revivals several years later?"
- Response to claim: Oliver Cowdery said, "You will recollect that I mentioned the time of a religious excitement, in Palmyra and vicinity to have been in the 15th year of our Brother J. Smith Jr's, age that was an error in the type- it should have been the 17th...This would bring the date down to the year 1823"
- Response to claim: "Why does his first autobiography not even mention the "first vision"?"
- Response to claim: "Why does Joseph Smith have Lehi make such a statement as 1 Nephi 8:2? Is he equating a dream to an actual, physical vision or visitation from God?"