tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.comments2023-10-18T10:32:30.713-05:00American Testament: The Book of MormonAmericanTestament.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-10357042264936144012023-07-11T04:18:22.148-05:002023-07-11T04:18:22.148-05:00You are exactly right, to my knowledge, Steve Smoo...You are exactly right, to my knowledge, Steve Smoot, on the point you made.<br />And if may complement your exigent remarks. I would remind our brothers and sisters that the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren,” he said, “that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”<br /><br /> Smith, History of the Church, 4:461; see also Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), 194.<br /><br />Lastly: The best evidence can be obtained from our Heavenly Father who loves us all beyond measure; through prayer, sincerely asking in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, if The Book of Mormon is His Word and if Joseph Smith truly was one of His prophets.<br />To which is something that I did put into practice and did receive a witness in my heart and without a doubt for me to know that The Book of Mormon truly is the Word of God, that it is “the most correct “ ( never anyone in our religion has stated the book to be ‘the perfect’ book on earth).<br /><br />With love and sincerity to my sisters and brothers I say this.<br /><br />Xavier Bianco.<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-61781615068691851882023-04-19T22:05:36.245-05:002023-04-19T22:05:36.245-05:00Probably between 40-60 pounds. See https://www.fai...Probably between 40-60 pounds. See https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Weight_and_size_of_the_gold_plates for more information.AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-7698594013080587402023-04-19T07:27:20.220-05:002023-04-19T07:27:20.220-05:00How much would the chest and golden plates have we...How much would the chest and golden plates have weighed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-60624980151231119752021-01-16T23:47:29.659-06:002021-01-16T23:47:29.659-06:00Thanks for the post. I have not seen the lineage i...Thanks for the post. I have not seen the lineage in a picture form before.Appliance Guyhttp://columbushomeappliancerepair.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-50906053575034677702020-03-15T17:20:12.039-05:002020-03-15T17:20:12.039-05:00Anonymous,
Your premise seems to be that all trut...Anonymous,<br /><br />Your premise seems to be that all truth is relative and that there are no moral absolutes. You're free to believe that just as we are free to believe that there are moral absolutes and that moral relativism is a form of calling evil good and good evil. We take our truth straight from God, who we believe to be the Father of Truth. We ignore lies from Satan, who we believe to be the father of lies. That may sound like circular reasoning, but it's really not, in our experience of living the truths and comparing how we feel and how things go for us vs. how we feel and how things go for us when we don't choose to follow God's plan. There are lots and lots of scriptures in the Bible and Book of Mormon, as well as the Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price that are full of hard-won, ancient wisdom on truth vs error. It seems foolish to me to try to create wheels and figure out how to start a fire while throwing out those very tools and lessons that bring us to the knowledge of how to do those things.<br /><br />"Doesn't Jesus welcome sinners?"<br /><br />A common objection to the question of "what is sin, and how shall I know it?" has been to cast doubt on the intentions of those who name sins by their right names. Adultery, for example, is the wanton destruction of a sacred covenant and promise between a man and a wife, to have and to hold and to cherish, honor, and respect each other for eternity. Next to murder itself, it is the deepest form of betrayal one can experience, wouldn't you agree? Did Jesus welcome sinners who had committed adultery? Of course! Did he condone their sin and make allowances for them to continue down those same broken paths? No. He said to the woman about to be stoned for adultery, "Go, and sin no more." People who want to argue that Jesus "welcomed" everyone conveniently leave that aspect out of the equation. There were plenty he rejected on the grounds that they were not repentant or that they were only following him to benefit from the miracles and without the intent to give up sinning. It's important to read _all_ of what was written in the Bible on this topic, and not just the parts we want to have agreement with.<br /><br />If scripture is unpalatable at this stage of your spiritual development, C.S. Lewis also wrote some pretty insightful things about the nature of evil and sin in the world. "The Screwtape Letters" is a good one to start with, but nearly everything he wrote has included some well thought-out theses on this topic.<br /><br />"Can you give me some reassurance?"<br /><br />I can't give anyone reassurance. That comes from putting your own faith in Jesus Christ and asking Him to help you come unto Him and be forgiven of your sins.AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-38397899505716972242020-03-15T15:54:01.041-05:002020-03-15T15:54:01.041-05:00I don't understand the significance of "T...I don't understand the significance of "The wicked take the truth to be hard" for don't the righteous take lies to be hard? Or should more righteous people be more open-minded and would think about it thoughtfully before explaining his/her view? This and the "calling good, evil and evil, good" phrase just seems vague and doesn't really say anything to help you. Now these phrases just sound like a close-minded excuse to not take people's concerns seriously. To me it sounds like you're acting like shaming guilty people is productive. Doesn't Jesus welcome sinners? You also sound like you're saying power (popularity, riches) are innately evil rather than something morally neutral that can be misused or acquired through explicit means. Can you give me some reassurance? I don't want to misunderstand where you're coming from.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-82006998014334892492014-10-31T12:10:47.744-05:002014-10-31T12:10:47.744-05:00The Snoop Dog/Book of Mormon meme is no longer a h...The Snoop Dog/Book of Mormon meme is no longer a hoax. See the updated post! :)AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-58717103635007956682014-05-02T22:23:39.668-05:002014-05-02T22:23:39.668-05:00It has been established that the men shot by Josep...It has been established that the men shot by Joseph Smith in the Carthage jail survived. <br />John Taylor was told the men died so he was just repeating what he was told. <br />A non member wrote about the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith and mentioned that the shot men did survive and were identified.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-67930083936140500562014-04-28T01:46:09.250-05:002014-04-28T01:46:09.250-05:00If Mormons are deceptive, then Evangelicals are mo...If Mormons are deceptive, then Evangelicals are more deceptive than Mormons. <br />The majority of the people who have sites and books the LDS (and some are Preachers in their own churches) have lousy credentials, have lied about their credentials, have gotten their credentials from schools that are not accredited, have gotten their credentials through mail order, and on and on.<br />Some even call themselves "Dr." and they do not have a MD nor a PhD.<br />Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Evangelicals are masters of hypocrisy and double standards, and evidently lying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-87926160077905777822014-04-28T01:03:38.277-05:002014-04-28T01:03:38.277-05:00Have you ever read the book "Red Earth, White...Have you ever read the book "Red Earth, White Lies". A very good book written by a Native American college professor named Vine Deloria, Jr. <br /><br />A lot of non LDS people like scientists, scholars, archeologists, whatever, will not say or do anything that might show that the Mormons might have some substance to what the Mormons believe about migration and who the ancient Americans were. Gasp, the Mormons can not be right (sarcasm). <br /><br />The Greeks were in present day Michigan taking the copper and ore back to Greece. The Native Americans mined it for the Greeks and other Europeans for trade (and for themselves to make things). I think it was about 4000 to 1000 BCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-91882713523268693372014-04-28T00:35:11.330-05:002014-04-28T00:35:11.330-05:00I wish I could find the story that follows: in th...I wish I could find the story that follows: in the mid to late 1600's there was a lost European who wandered the jungles of central and/or south America. When he was found he was talking about seeing elephants and creatures that were nto supposed to be in the Americas. The rescuers thought lost man was delusional and that he, the lost man, thought he was in Africa again because of the elephant comments. <br />If I can find where I read about this story I will come back and let you know. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-21326230762286346382014-04-28T00:29:43.550-05:002014-04-28T00:29:43.550-05:00LDS get ridiculed for "feelings" and &qu...LDS get ridiculed for "feelings" and "burning heart" etc. The sites critical to LDS tell people not to pray about the Book of Mormon because the heart can not be trusted (makes me wonder how the blazes these people knew their spouse was the right one, and how they feel the love of their children and so on). But, the critics ask their supporters to pray if it is right for the supporters to send the site owners money to continue to battle the evil Mormons. And if God touches their heart, then send in the money. Unbelievable. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-28980260044627748092014-04-28T00:15:20.664-05:002014-04-28T00:15:20.664-05:00 But that belief contradicts John 21:25, which say... But that belief contradicts John 21:25, which says:<br /><br />And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.<br /><br />When this is shown to critics of the LDS church, the critics either ignore it and change the subject, and/or they start with the same old tired accusations of polygamy, polyandry, racism, money digging, and so forth. The critics never address this little verse. At least that I have not seen. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-56158560010506796822014-04-28T00:10:42.467-05:002014-04-28T00:10:42.467-05:00I read about Noh Mul on another site. What a los...I read about Noh Mul on another site. What a loss. And it is sickening. Critics do not realize( or do not want to admit) the amount of material that has been lost. They also will not acknowledge that the jungles destroy a lot of material fast. Think of what the Catholic church ordered destroyed when the Spaniards came. And all the gold artifacts melted down and shipped back to Europe to be worked into something else to adorn the walls of churches, the Vatican, and royal palaces. And there are artifacts in private hands that no one knows about - from just about every country in the world, that will never come to light. <br /><br />Also the critics start naming Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, etc. as "proof" of the Bible. Well, it really is not proof. They love to use a double standard against the LDS. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-77542924513348168602013-06-20T15:29:47.062-05:002013-06-20T15:29:47.062-05:00Thank you for your work on this site.Thank you for your work on this site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-87346503686719952742013-05-19T10:41:10.723-05:002013-05-19T10:41:10.723-05:00exelent now i know more about nephi love itexelent now i know more about nephi love itAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05369971864108496625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-18885759652531641472013-02-09T21:18:06.421-06:002013-02-09T21:18:06.421-06:00Certainly! Glad you found this useful. Certainly! Glad you found this useful. AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-65343644761991235312013-02-09T21:03:37.522-06:002013-02-09T21:03:37.522-06:00I am giving a talk in church tomorrow from this ve...I am giving a talk in church tomorrow from this very conference talk. I so appreciate your commentary. I wish I had said as much. May I quote you? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04526266013025979105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-5262590795045794372012-12-31T11:01:10.513-06:002012-12-31T11:01:10.513-06:00I've watched that series, more out of curiosit...I've watched that series, more out of curiosity than a belief in aliens. It's helpful to get outside of the "accepted" narrative of how civilization developed to practice one's critical thinking skills. There are a lot of gaps in present-day understandings of ancient civilizations and we need real scientists to try to fill them in. By "real scientists" I mean people who haven't bought into the whole "settled science" mantra and who believe science is always about asking more questions. Thanks for sharing!AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-18991505404437952392012-12-31T10:10:12.569-06:002012-12-31T10:10:12.569-06:00have you ever watched Ancient Aliens on H2 (Histor...have you ever watched Ancient Aliens on H2 (History Channel 2)? Their latetst episode talked all about pyramids. During that episode, they flashed a map on the screen showing all the pyramid sites in the world and I was a bit surprised to see sites in the United States ... the videos you posted in this post explained that now.<br /><br />thanks for sharing!Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11601793052435225649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-78320076611309936602012-12-30T14:48:57.871-06:002012-12-30T14:48:57.871-06:00You may be onto something there. I've always f...You may be onto something there. I've always felt the Yemen route and launch point was the correct one because of the Nahom connection. However, I've also done some comparison of Mayan writing and glyphs with ancient Chinese glyphs and have noted stylistic similarities that seem not to be coincidental. I've not yet seen a convincing body of research to make a Sino-Mayan connection, but the Chinese did have some contact at one point with the New World before Columbus did. Here are a few summaries. http://chapala.com/chapala/ojo2009/chinese.html<br />http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=3&num=1&id=68<br />http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/transcripts/?id=154AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-35457265132032823592012-12-26T18:45:39.815-06:002012-12-26T18:45:39.815-06:00Food for thought.. The Book of Mormon Narrative de...Food for thought.. The Book of Mormon Narrative describes that Lehi and company went nearly eastward for EIGHT years after they buried Ishmael at Nahom. Most think the set sail for the new world from the south of Arabia. This doesn't make a lot of sense geographically or for the DNA.. <br /><br />So food for some thought, A friend of mine suggest and I happen to agree perhaps we should think "Shanghai" - Eight years of nearly eastward travel on what would end up being the OLD SILK ROAD.. Shanghai in 600 BCE would certainly be the land of bountiful .. and the trans-Oceanic crossing to the Americas is not such a problem. And as for the DNA, often we have a tendency to presume the BOM narrative told the WHOLE Story.. But that too is not a reasonable belief. So lets assume that in the abridgment some details were left out.. like Lehi's family picking up female companions along that eight years eastward, through Mongolia and China..And these companions would travel to the Americas and bear offspring... Viola.. if that's the true eight years eastword, wouldn't Lehi's descendants carry Asian mtDNA??oceancoasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10150481688298287852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-15694374127164402042012-12-23T14:06:59.139-06:002012-12-23T14:06:59.139-06:00One of the few texts that survived the Catholic mi...One of the few texts that survived the Catholic missionaries' burning of Mayan codices was a transcribed oral history called the Title of the Lords of Totonicapán. The text specifically states that ancient Quiché (key-CHAY) noblemen and kings knew their ancestors came from Israel in boats across the ocean. <br /><br />Yet even this is not enough proof for scientists and anti-Mormons, who just can't accept any evidence of Book of Mormon authenticity at face value. Rather than just accepting it as a simple Occam's Razor truth, they contort themselves inside and out trying to find another explanation. Yet there, in front of their lying eyes is direct evidence.<br /><br />I was at Cahokia Mounds in southern Illinois a couple of weeks ago (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082113/The-lost-city-Cahokia-Archaeologists-uncover-Native-Americans-sprawling-metropolis.html). It's been on my "bucket list" because the "Monks Mound" structure is so incredibly similar to what I had observed in southwestern Guatemala. I asked the docent at the Cahokia museum whether any links between Mayan and Cahokian culture had been found. Rather than tell me "no links have been found", the answer was a terse and conclusive "there are absolutely no links". Yet their entire exhibit told the story of how Cahokia was a major trading center for much of North America, including the Aztecs of southern Mexico thousands of miles away. But there's no possible way a group of Yucatan Mayans could have made the short boat trip from the Yucatan peninsula straight north to the mouth of the Mississippi and then followed it northward? Or that Cahokians couldn't have traveled south to the Gulf and across that relatively narrow stretch of ocean to the Yucatan, bringing back with them pyramidal mound building they observed there? We know there was a Cahokian link to the Gulf because recent excavations have found sharks' teeth from there. We know they knew how to hammer copper (and possibly other metals?) into thin sheets. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_aSBfHpytE<br /><br />No. "Old Joe" Smith must've just made it all up!AmericanTestament.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127465919258708936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-44362620537496806082012-12-23T01:40:39.309-06:002012-12-23T01:40:39.309-06:00Excellent! The detractors who need to read what w...Excellent! The detractors who need to read what was in Discover Magazine won't, or if they do they won't believe it, or they will say the magazine or whatever is connected to the LDS church. <br />My ancestry is very mixed, as it is for most of us here in the United States. My maiden name is Armenian, and it is a rare name. If I could ever afford to do so I would like to get a blood test done to see if the Middle Eastern bloodline will show up, as I also have European and Native American bloodlines. It would show that genetic testing can't tell or show everything.<br />The DNA testing of American Natives does not bother me for the very reasons stated. My belief is based on faith. There have been many shows about migration and who could have come to the Americas the past few thousand years, and came across the oceans and not the Bering Straight. There are also Native American tribes who believe their ancestors came from Israel and others who came from other places by crossing the oceans, and not by the Bering Straight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005490685220949062.post-30458128920391919152012-12-12T19:00:26.270-06:002012-12-12T19:00:26.270-06:00I have been pondering these issues with similar re...I have been pondering these issues with similar reflections. Nobody has DNA from the time in question on either side of the ocean to make scientificly accurate comparisons. <br /><br />Native Americans have since intermarried with those of Chinese and African descent and the Jews were taken into captivity numerous times. The genetic markers that detractors assert nullify the stated origins of the people of the Book of Mormon could well have come from any of these sources. It would probably be productive to research the captivities of the Jewish people just prior to Lehi leaving Jerusalem to see which peoples may have intermarried, but without accurate geneaology and pertinent DNA, there is no way to conduct a failproof scientific assessment.<br /><br />"And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish..."<br /><br />cesemenoreply@blogger.com