Reason #187: Because of Joseph Smith’s Formal Education
Mormons often point to the length of the Book of Mormon and claim that no man could have written it without God’s help. In particular, they say that Joseph Smith’s lack of formal education meant he couldn’t write such a book. There are several reasons why this is not a valid supportive argument. 1) Formal education — of which Joseph Smith had about three years — does not equal writing ability. Abraham Lincoln, one of Smith’s contemporaries, had only a little over a year of formal education and yet he was able to speak, write, and debate masterfully. Like Smith, he was self-taught and also learned from others. 2) Today’s Book of Mormon seems grammatically correct — but only because it underwent over 4000 changes...
Reason # 175: Joseph Smith’s Teenage Wives
Many Mormons, upon being confronted with irrefutable evidence that Joseph Smith married multiple teenaged girls, respond that it was common in the 1800′s for older men to marry teenaged girls. However, this chart and information seem to dispute that. Chart courtesy of http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/Age.htm
Reason #154: Because Joseph Smith’s Polygamous Marriages Produced No Children
When I was a Mormon, I was taught that Joseph Smith had only one wife, Emma Hale Smith. I have since learned that Joseph Smith married over two dozen women — and apparently consummated some of those marriages. To date, no proof exists to substantiate the claims of some of the children of his wives that they were descended from Joseph Smith, except those children by Emma Hale Smth. However, if no children were conceived as a result of those polygamous marriages, they were considered whoredoms by the Book of Mormon which Joseph Smith produced. See: Jacob Chapter 2 23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse...
Reason #153: A Greek manuscript fooled Joseph Smith
Most students of Mormonism know that Joseph Smith claimed to have the ability to translate ancient documents, specifically to produce the Book of Mormon and portions of both the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 7 in particular.) A deeper investigation into Mormon history shows that Joseph Smith also tried to “translate” some hoax tablets called the Kinderhook Plates. Many do not know, however, that Joseph Smith claimed he could translate a psalter (ancient book of the Psalms) written in Greek — except he said they were actually a dictionary of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Read several accounts of this 1842 incident here (including an illustration from the book written by the man who presented the Greek psalter to Joseph...
Reason #148: Failed Prophecies of Joseph Smith
Years ago when my friend Dick Baer decided to leave the LDS Church, he wrote a letter to his Mormon family and friends explaining why. Part of that was the number of failed prophecies of Joseph Smith. Baer made a list of 53 such failed prophecies which you can read here. One of my favorites in the list (and one of Dick’s as well) is #22: April 23, 1834. Doctrine & Covenants, Section 104:1: “Verily I say unto you, my friends, I give unto you counsel, and a commandment, concerning all the properties which belong to the order which I commanded to be organized and established, to be a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come – “ The United Order was a communal type of...
