Tonight we begin a fascinating investigation of how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. This is one you won’t want to miss!
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Radio Free Mormon: 126: Lost in Translation, Part 1
Tonight we begin a fascinating investigation of how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. This is one you won’t want to miss!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Nice episode! The stories of Everything evolved with Joseph Smith, changing and becoming more and more grand, more fantastical as he went, just like Jesus evolves in the bible from down to earth rabbi and teacher right to beyond fantastical blood-magic, scape-goat Savior of humanity, complete with with a virgin mother from Paganism too, which the bible documents as definitely not a virgin (genealogy thru his true father in Matt & Luke). Same techniques and personalities of grandiose story-tellers and writers.
The 1838 official version of the first vision became so fantastic that it contradicts the earlier church doctrine of the godhead and contradicts too many events as documented by history and right in the Joseph Smith Parers, proving itself as legitimate first vision to be quite beyond impossible as well.
Hi RFM, I have the audio of Elder Nelson’s talk if you’re interested.
Great!
Can you send it to Bill Reel?
Hi RFM,
I have been listening to you for a few years and can’t wait for every other Sunday so I can hear what you’re going to expose next. You are by far my favorite podcaster. I don’t speak to my spouse about you and I remain anonymously and secretly (sacredly) interested because if I mention any of it to my wife, it causes contention like we have never had before and she won’t speak kindly to me for a few days. Other than the church issues, we get along better than any married couple that I know of. She does not know who you are but I know that if she could just get over the “anti’ speed bump, She would love to hear your podcasts and we could talk about them together. As of now, I can’t even suggest listening to you because we’re all taught that it is a sin. This week I came up with an Idea for you: I’m not sure if you’re interested or knowledgeable about this, but I think you might get some TBM spouses listening in for the first time…. and then raise some curiosity for your other podcasts.
My wife and I have been glued to the Chad and Lori Daybell case. She can’t wait to talk to me about anything new about the case. This is because they are a crazy religious cult with a crazy story that is so close to home.(sound familiar) Anyway, long story short- Could you tell us some things about the case from an attorneys point of view. We could listen together because it is not about the church that we attend and I’m sure this would spark some interest in some of your other podcasts and maybe we could start to listen to some of your other podcasts together. Thanks for your fabulous podcasts!!!
You might be able to get your wife to listen to my Defender of the Faith series …
Thanks for the suggestion but I couldn’t do that. I have to come clean, I tried to listen to the first one, but it felt like someone took my favorite desert and poured sand on it. I skipped all of those and I am bummed when they come out because I don’t get a good one for that week. I have no interest in ever starting them up (sorry). I’m fascinated with everything else you do…. Well, ok, Since I’m complaining, Your podcasts are all factual and full of evidence. When you add the element of Bill in them, they become emotional and speculative. I still like them, but they are three times as good when you’re solo…. I don’t expect you to post this, its for your eyes only. Love You RFM!
No problema, Bob!
I completely understand.
I was thinking more of your wife and how the Defender of the Faith series might be a good introduction for her to Radio Free Mormon.
You wouldn’t even have to listen yourself. Just let your wife listen!
Or maybe you could try my early podcast on New Evidence for the Book of Mormon. That might do the trick!
;^)
Sorry to hear of your silent struggle. I was in a similar situation a few years ago with my believing spouse. Eventually, with podcasts, my once believing spouse eventually became a non-believer…RFM would have been too “anti” to start with. So I had him listen to apologists on older episodes of Bill Reel’s Mormon Discussion podcasts from around 2013-’15 Episodes with Terryl and Fiona Givens, Richard Bushman, Patrick Mason, and especially Greg Kearney one about Mormons and Masonry. These episodes were non-threatening and even a little faith-promoting, but at the same time they also admit and validate the messiness of church theology and history.
That is a really good idea, Millicent!
Bill Reel’s earlier episodes are excellent in this regard.
I have heard more than one person tell me how brave it was of Bill to put all that out there so that in going back and listening we can see Bill process all this information as honestly and transparently as he possibly can, trying as best he can to “lead with faith.”
And ultimately showing that how trying to deal honestly with LDS Church history can end up leading someone out of the church.
This does wrap a lot of loose ends in my mind too.
Funny how I have considered all these things and points, but I like the way you echo and compile my same conclusions.
Depending of when you gave your Sunday School lesson I would have raised my hand regarding the stone and the hat method of translation. I believe I had whims of this process after the year 2000, by the time the creators of South Park released that episode it was common knowledge by then.
Otherwise I would have been silent buy thoroughly intrigued that I would have investigated more on the subject myself.
Wonderful episode! I’ve learned so much from all three episodes in this series.
Did you happen to learn if these two BYU authors ever wrote a correction or update years later, after the Church acknowledged the truth of its “Rock in Hat” story? Do we know if they changed their opinion?
Thanks!