But even assuming Smith referred only to the book’s doctrinal stance, as opposed to its general construction, numerous doctrines in his counterfeit Bible collide with the contents of the real Bible, regardless of version. So the assumption is still faulty. Although the “most correct of any book on earth,” thousands of alterations have been made since the initial edition.
But according to Smith’s own written attestation, which he says was granted him through God’s angel, Moroni, “We know no fault.” So what do we have here? We have God declaring there’s no fault in Smith’s translation. How do I arrive at that conclusion? Because our Lord, speaking through Smith in Mormon scripture, says, “We know no fault.” And if God isn’t aware of any errors or discrepancies, there aren’t any. This means simply that Smith produced a perfect translation. But we all know such is not the case, so on that factual foundation we dare not ascribe authorship to God.
Mormons will probably respond by saying, “Well, now, there are many mistakes in your Bible as well, but you give its authorship to God. How do you explain that?” Of course we give its authorship to God. But here is where the bone rubs:
The mistakes in our common Bible were made by men when they translated from one language to another because, primarily, they were not guided by God personally. Now grasp the difference: Smith claimed to be guided by God personally, through the angel Moroni, when he translated the plates. Therefore, no mistakes of any kind should have occurred. In other words, Smith had access to the original autographs (plates). The translators of our common Bible did not have access to the original autographs. Let’s spell it out clearly and unmistakably. Smith had celestial assistance in the form of....
1) God’s angel.
2) Original autographs (plates).
On the other hand, translators of our common Bible were without help in the form of....
1) God’s angel.
2) Original autographs.
Surely the difference is conspicuous. Consequently, there’s zero excuse for Smith’s doctrinal errors and other infantile blunders.
a) “Adam and Eve, which was our first parents” (p. 15); “and loosed the bands which was upon my wrists” (p. 49); “but it all were in vain” (p. 142); “it were easy to guard them” (p. 375); “the words which is expedient" (p. 67); “here is our weapons of war” (p. 346); “as I was a journeying” (p. 249); “as I was a going thither” (p. 249); “Moroni was a coming against them” (p. 403); “he found Muloki a preaching” (p. 284); “the Lamanites a marching” (p. 529).
Must we conclude God is not well-versed in the English language? But here’s more.
b) Much of Smith’s false translation was written at the expense of our common Bible. In Smith’s counterfeit revelation, 3 Nephi 20:37 corresponds with Isaiah 52:2 (KJV). There are dozens of other similar examples. If it had not been for our common Bible, Smith would have been at a loss to write his bogus “Testament” to sound and appear “Godlike.”
c) In 3 Nephi 18:29-30, Smith has an unbeliever partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily. This will strike the biblical student as being strange inasmuch as the Lord's Supper was designed for believers only. The Supper was never intended for unbelievers. So how may unbelievers eat it unworthily? (Please see I Corinthians, chapter 11.)
d) The word “exceeding” in 3 Nephi 8:12 & 15 should be “exceedingly,” and in chapter 10, “hear these sayings, and did witness of it,” should have been “them.” Must we conclude God is lacking good grammar? There are dozens of other similar mistakes.
e) Smith’s Book of Mormon says the Son of God is the “Eternal Father of heaven and earth” (Alma 11:38-39). But Jesus stated, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). If God the Father is greater than God the Son, how can the Son be the “eternal Father”? In standard language, a son is always subordinate to his father. Surely, if God guided Smith’s hand, they left matters in a confused mess.
In the end of all earthly things, God the Son will hand everything over to God the Father (I Corinthians 15:24). If Smith’s “revelation” is correct, will God the Son hand everything over to himself? Believe me when I say that God’s ability to communicate eclipses this kind of jargon. There are hundreds of additional absurdities and asinine statements. It is indeed regrettable that thousands of misinformed and mistaught people have chosen to follow this man’s gibberish.
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Additional Doctrines Joseph Smith And Mormons
Taught Or Are Teaching
- That God was once as we are (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, 1855, VI, 5).
- That God was not God from all eternity (Ibid., pp. 3-4).
- That we, ourselves, can become Gods (Ibid., pp. 3-4).
- That God and Jesus have glorified flesh and bone bodies (Ibid., pp. 3-4).
Note: Lorenzo Snow, former President and Prophet of the Mormon Church, said, “As a man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be” (Brigham Young, Editor, Millennial Star, 1892, p. 404).
- That every person on Earth lived in a premortal existence, did not possess physical bodies, but lived as spirit-children of our Heavenly Father (Uniform System for Teaching Families, pp. D-3, 5).
- That we have both an Eternal Father and an Eternal Mother, and that they cohabited and produced spirit-children (Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p. 467).
- That Adam “is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 1855, I, 50-51).
Note: “I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “For there is one God” (I Tim. 2:5).
- That he (Joseph Smith) would one day be crowned King of the Kingdom of God and Emperor of Mexico and most of the West. Later, he had himself secretly installed as King of the Kingdom of God (No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, by Fawn M. Brodie, p. 419).
- That during the course of the Civil War in America, worldwide hostilities would be poured out upon all nations; famine, plague, and earthquakes would come from God, and all nations come to an end (Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants 87).
- That a Mormon Temple and “New Jerusalem” would be built “in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri” (Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants 84:2-5 & 31).
Note: “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death” (Deut. 18:20).
Note: Is it possible Smith’s untimely death, as noted toward the end of this Section, is a fulfillment of the above prophecy? Truly, it is worth pondering.
- That a heavenly messenger appeared to him (Smith) in the Spring of 1820 and said to him, “This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him!” (Writings of Joseph Smith 2:19).
- That God instructed him (Smith) not to join any of the sects, for they all were false.
Note: So Joseph Smith established his own true-blue, genuine, authentic, and legal church. What a coincidence! Right “out of the clear-blue sky” he was granted the right to usher in his own denomination or sect. And he was given his own franchise. What a blessing!
