The Book of Mormon is Fiction
I used to read the Book of Mormon and wonder why it felt so hollow and meaningless. The stories of war and battles, of missionary work, Christian doctrine, sermons, prophecies, cycles of wickedness and righteousness and stories of destruction and miracles bored me. There was no substance behind the stories, no relevance to me or my life. My frustration became greater when I was a seminary student in high school and then as a missionary because all the adults I knew talked about how special and profound the Book of Mormon was and how much wisdom it contained. The more I searched, pondered, and prayed, the farther away I felt from a real understanding and appreciation. I thought about the fecundity of the Nephites and about how no other ancient civilization raised up millions of people in such short amounts of time. And even with these millions of people slain in battle, there is no evidence of their cities or destruction of their cities, no evidence of wars or weapons in the locations where Joseph Smith taught they were.
I agree that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, however, absence of evidence where their should be evidence, is evidence of absence. Read more
My Book of Mormon Hero
The Book of Mormon that I carried with me for two years as a missionary in Russia is on my desk. It’s the standard edition that all Mormons have: The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price all in one. (My Bible is its own separate book.) This particular book is tattered and worn from years of use and study. In fact, it’s marked up, cross-referenced, and highlighted so much that no one could honestly tell me that I wasn’t sincere in my studies. I was. I still am. Only now I’m not fed on a diet of skim milk. I want -and get- the meat. Read more
Reasons to Admire Joseph Smith
I surround myself with people who inspire me. For as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to the energy of innovative and creative people. I’ve learned new ideas and have seen the world in new ways, and I was never the same. The achievements of others inspire and encourage. For me, these people highlight the things in life which are possible and seeing someone genuinely live their life, a life driven by purpose, fully integrated and in harmony is a euphoric experience. Most of the time, these are people I know as friends or acquaintances and sometimes these are people I have never met, who lived long before me, but who left their mark on the world. One of these people is Joseph Smith, but not the sanitized, white-washed version of Joseph Smith the modern day Mormon Church practically worships. I’m talking about the real Joseph Smith, as recorded by his family and friends, the Joseph Smith that the church wants to ignore.
