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Q&A4LDS - Questions for the Thinking Mormon
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Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons, have a good reputation among many Americans today. They represent decency and high moral standards. Many do not smoke or drink. They are for the most part clean-cut, giving, and polite. Their strong devotion to their families puts them a cut above the normal American family; a family which is experiencing a disintegration in today’s amoral society.
But there is another view of Mormons today which is not so positive and admiring. Some see Mormonism as a "cult," as a group of people who have been grossly misled by a fanatical teacher. There are those who believe that a Mormon is incapable of making a decision for him- or herself; that a Mormon’s mind is completely at the mercy of a totalitarian Church hierarchy.
If you are a Mormon it is our hope that you do not fit into those last categories; that, instead, you are capable of thinking for yourself; that you see the importance of using Reason to discover Truth. It is our hope, and the hope of many others, that when faced with a difficult question or decision that you are honest enough to confront the issue rather than run away from it. These are the qualities which we hope separate you from the average human being who would rather just bury his or her head in the sand and live in the dark lands of Ignorance.
For that reason we ask that you consider the next few pages. They present some examples of standard LDS doctrine and some honest questions concerning these doctrine. If they—the doctrine—are true, then there should be genuine, reasonable answers to the questions. We encourage you to read all the references that accompany each section and we invite you to enlighten or correct us on any misconceptions we have presented. We choose to work with you rather than against you to discover the truth about Mormonism. This particular tract will be dealing with 1) the historical evidence which surrounds The Book of Mormon, and 2) the doctrine of "the plurality of wives."
The Historicity of the Book of Mormon
As you probably already know, The Book of Mormon describes the history of some great civilizations in the Americas: the Jaredites, the Nephites, and the Lamanites, all of whom are said to have originated from the Middle East. The Jaredites were the earlier people, arriving here thousands of years before Christ. The other two peoples made the Americas their home between about 600 B.C. and A.D. 400.
The Book of Mormon is full of rich detail concerning these civilizations. A couple of the observations The Book of Mormon presents to us are that the land was covered with buildings and there were multitudes of people. There are at least 38 different cities mentioned. The lives and practices of these people are vividly described in the book. Christ himself is reported to have visited the Nephites in their new land, and the American Indian is described as being the descendant of their enemies, the Lamanites.
Questions:
1. Where are the archaeological ruins from a single one of these cities?
2. Where is evidence of the everyday artifacts these people must have used in the hundreds of years that they were said to have inhabited the Americas?
3. Where is any evidence of the great battle that took place between the Nephites and the Lamanites in A.D. 385 in Palmyra, New York?
4. According to reputable anthropologists, the native Americans had no wheat, barley, oats, cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys, elephants, or camels before the Europeans came over in the late 1400’s. Why does The Book of Mormon claim that they had these things for centuries and centuries before the European invasion? If they did have them, where is any evidence?
5. According to reputable anthropologists, the native Americans had no iron, glass, steel, or silk. Why does The Book of Mormon say that they did? If they did have them, where is any evidence?
6. Why is there no archaeological connection between ancient Mexican and Egyptian cultures as would be expected if The Book of Mormon were true? (Despite whatever pictures may be offered in your particular edition of The Book of Mormon as "proof" of a connection, there is none.)
7. Why do reputable anthropologists say that the native Americans are of Oriental descent, not Mediterranean Caucasian like The Book of Mormon implies?
8. Why do neither the Smithsonian Institution in Washington nor the National Geographic Society ever use The Book of Mormon as a source of information about the ancient Americans, but instead reject its claims as fictitious and in direct contradiction to the evidence? (Write them and ask or see our copy)
Keep in mind that all of these questions about historical accuracy and integrity are in reference to a book which Prophet Joseph Smith called "the most correct of any book on earth." [History of the Church 4:461]
The Plurality of Wives
Doctrine and Covenants (along with The Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price) is another sacred book of the LDS church. Section 132 of Doctrine and Covenants presents a fascinating aspect of Mormon life which sets them apart from most other "religions." According to Mormon history, an inquiring Joseph Smith had asked God about the legality of the plurality of wives, or polygamy. God answered his question and, while he was at it, also established "a new and everlasting covenant." This new covenant said that not only was polygamy OK, but it was mandatory, adding that if one did not partake of polygamy that that person was damned and all hopes of exaltation to godhood were dashed. If you can read D&C 132 before continuing, please do. (The reported date of this revelation was July 1843, a very significant date as we will see.)
Questions:
1. Doctrine and Covenants 132:38-9 reports that David and Solomon were not sinning by having many wives and concubines. Now read in The Book of Mormon, Jacob 2:24, "Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord." Is God now changing his mind in D&C 132? Were David and Solomon sinning or not? Which book is accurate? [Note: Polygamy is nowhere approved in the Bible.]
2. It is a well-known and documented fact that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy before the 1843 revelation. (Joseph F. Smith, the 6th President of the Mormon Church, wrote that Joseph Smith and his brother "did practice the doctrine in their lifetime, and until their death, notwithstanding their seeming denials..." [Historical Record p. 220]) Yet in 1844, the year after the revelation, the History of the Church [6:411] records Joseph Smith as denying that he had more than one wife. If he did indeed have dozens of wives by 1844, why did he lie about it? Why would the founder of the Mormon church lie to the public about such a crucial doctrine? If it meant salvation and exaltation for Mormons, why mislead and confuse the brethren?
3. If by at least 1843 polygamy had been revealed as a "new and everlasting covenant," why did Joseph Smith, a year later in February 1844, refer to it as a "false and corrupt doctrine" [Times and Seasons Feb 1, 1844]? Why would a prophet of God refer to his God’s holy decree as false and corrupt?
4. In 1890, Wilford Woodruff, 4th President of the Church, had a revelation from God. He said that the doctrine of polygamy was applicable only in the afterlife, in celestial heaven. But, reading D&C 132, it is clear that the doctrine of polygamy was to be enacted on earth. Was God changing his mind again? Or was Joseph Smith mistaken in the 1843 revelation? (At the time of the new 1890 revelation, the U.S. government had been threatening to exile the Mormons to Mexico if they didn’t stop practicing their polygamy.)
5. Dark skin is a sign of being cursed by God in Mormon theology. Church Apostle Orson Pratt threatened, "Oppose [the doctrine of polygamy] and teach your children to do the same, and if you do not become as dark as midnight there is no truth in Mormonism." [Journal of Discourses 17:224-225] This next question is not meant to be flippant—Orson Pratt seemed dead serious about what he said—but do you know of a Mormon opposed to polygamy that has been "cursed" with dark skin? If that person’s skin has remained light in complexion (assuming it was light to begin with), then is Apostle Pratt correct in his statement that "there is no truth in Mormonism"?
6. If you are a man, are you practicing polygamy? Brigham Young said that "the only men who become Gods, even the Sons of Gods, are those who enter into polygamy." [Journal of Discourses 11:269] (He meant practicing on earth, by the way.) Joseph Smith declared the same thing and added that if one does not practice it, that person is damned!
7. If you are a woman, do you realize that 1) you cannot become a goddess unless you are married in the Temple, 2) the damnation consequence of not practicing polygamy applies to you, too, and 3) if Joseph Smith is right about the afterlife, you had better plan on being one of hundreds or thousands of eternally pregnant wives to your husband, if he even allows you to join him in the first place.
8. If the doctrine of polygamy is true, what exactly did Jesus mean when He said, concerning those who have risen from the dead, that "they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels"[Mark 12:25]? Isn’t this a direct contradiction of the "revelation" of 1843?
9. Finally, might there have been an ulterior motive in Joseph Smith’s call to polygamy? Consider the following sworn statement by Sarah Pratt, Apostle Orson Pratt’s first wife of many:
You should bear in mind that Joseph did not think of marriage or sealing ceremony for many years. He used to state to his intended victims, as he did to me, "God does not care if we have a good time, if only other people do not know it." He only introduced a marriage ceremony when he found out he could not get certain women without it... If any woman, like me, opposed his wishes, he used to say: "Be silent, or I shall ruin your character. My character must be sustained in the interest of the Church." [Mormon Portraits pp 61-62]
If you are a Mormon woman, how does her testimony make you feel?
A Prophecy by the Prophet
The June 19, 1844, Mormon Neighbor reports Joseph Smith as saying confidently:
I therefore warn the lawless not to be precipitate in any interference of our affairs, for as sure as there is a God in Israel, we shall ride triumphant over all oppression.
On June 27, just a week later, Joseph Smith and his brother were shot dead in a gunfight by an angry mob because of an incident which was sparked by Joseph Smith’s polygamous teachings and practices. Maybe the "we" in "we shall ride triumphant over all oppression" wasn’t meant to include Joseph Smith and his brother.
Quotes in Contrast
"I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam... Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did such a work as I." [Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:408-9]
God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. [James 4:6,7]
Postscript
Doctrine and Covenants 132:8 quotes the god of Mormonism as saying: "Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion." Are you confused about the complete lack of any evidence supporting The Book of Mormon ? Are you also bewildered concerning the source and meaning of the command to have many wives? Does it seem that we are all being asked to believe something which doesn’t make much sense?
If you are a Mormon, thank you for your openness and honesty in reading this. It takes a special courage for you to read something which presents a "different" point of view than the one you’ve become comfortable with. The "Q&A" in the title of this tract means "Questions and Answers." Hopefully, we have provided you with some questions; now it is time for you to find the answers. It is our hope that you do your own inspection beyond this reading. Isn’t it important to you that you prove the skeptics wrong? Prove to them and to yourself that you are a thinking, honest human being and not some fearful, mindless pawn afraid of what the Church might think of your sincere search for the Truth.
We ask that you start by laying aside The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price for a moment. Open the Bible—to the book of John for a good start—and read, for yourself, the simple "good news" that is proclaimed there. Inspect what the historically accurate Bible has to say about the Meaning of Life, about how our acceptance by the one, true God is not based on good works but on the finished work of Jesus at Calvary, and about how a relationship between the loving, biblical Jesus and yourself can be an immediate and freeing experience. You need not have any fear in questioning this Book to find the Truth; it’s expected.
Sword & Spirit Ministries
P.O. Box 712 • Murrieta, CA 92564
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