Funny thing is South Park was 100% accurate.
The story is pretty foolish and demonstrably untrue.The book of Mormon is 19Th century fiction written in 17Th century English I guess Joseph just thought it sounded classier.If I was translating "reformed Egyptian" with my magic rock and to phat I'd probably translate it into the language I spoke.
I actually looked this stuff up after watching South Park. They presented it in a funny way, but as far as I can tell they were totally factually accurate.
Heck they even left out some of the funnier things like the special underwear they wear to temple.
Sorry, let me catch my breath. Perhaps you should have asked L Ron Hubbard as he was also a great inventor and fraudster. Anyway, it is all a made up story to extract money from gullible people.
I am a historian. I'm not a real Mormon, but I don't watch South Park either.
When he was young, Joseph Smith's family made their money from gold finding. Joseph would drop a magic stone in his hat and look at the stone and tell the prospectors where to dig. If he was right he would take a cut, if he was wrong he would move on.
People who watched him translate the plate say he used the same method as he used in the gold finding scam. Only this time, when he looked in his hat, the angel Moroni gave him a translation of the word as well as showing him which hieroglyph he was translating. Very conveniently, the plates disappeared as soon as they had been translated. Joseph Smith said they were taken by the angel. Skeptics said there weren't any plates.
Joseph Smith said he was 14 when he first saw the plates, but the angel told him to wait to translate them. He was in his 30s when he made it public.
I am a practicing Mormon, I believe the book of Mormon to be true, i believe it to be another testament to Jesus Christ. I believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God
I have read all your comments, so now all have your laugh, and no i do not watch south park or any other such drivel.
I suppose you would all rather contemplate the writings of the founder of "Scientology" an alcoholic, writer of science fiction. who believe man came from far far outer space. after all it must be true, Tom Cruise and John Travola say so
PHOTOGRAPHER. i viewed the video you spoke of, i also would be amused if it wasn't so ludicrous, as a practicing Mormon, it contains material i have never heard of, and am sure i never will,
SCOURGED you say "I never made that one up" oh yes you did, no "HAT" is ever mentioned in regard to interpreting, try the "Urim and Thummin" its a pity knockers have to use false information, and his answer is false from start to finish, you go on ad infinity about why our church is false,using totally false information, what church do you belong to?
In 1820, Joseph Smith was 14 years old, living in upper state New York. He was confused about which church to join because all of the churches said they were the true church. He read in James 1:5 that he if he had questions, he could ask God and receive answers. So he went into the woods alone and prayed. God and Jesus Christ appeared to him and told him that he should join none of the churches because they were not the true church of Christ.
Later, Joseph Smith was visited by an Angel named Moroni. Moroni taught Joseph and showed him where to find the Gold Plates, which were an ancient record of the people on the American continent. Joseph Smith translated the Gold Plates by revelation (from God). This translation became The Book of Mormon, a book of scripture like the Bible which teaches and testifies of Jesus Christ, and which Mormons view as a companion to the Bible (not a replacement).
In 1830, under direction from God, Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
You can read a more detailed account here:
http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-restoration-of-the-gospel
How about read the words of Joseph Smith yourself. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/34,64#34
"...on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.
30 While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.
31 He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.
32 Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.
33 He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kind reds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.
34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the foulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;
35 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows?and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim?deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted ?seers? in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.
42 Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken?for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled?I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it.
43 After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.
44 I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.
45 He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation; which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolation's by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.
46 By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father?s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.
59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
66 On the 5Th day of April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house, until which time I had never seen him. He stated to me that having been teaching school in the neighborhood where my father resided, and my father being one of those who sent to the school, he went to board for a season at his house, and while there the family related to him the circumstances of my having received the plates, and accordingly he had come to make inquiries of me.
67 Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery (being the 7th of April) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he began to write for me.
Well... what you have heard is accurate, even from non- and EX-Mormons.
Here's another interesting sidelight...regarding those "golden plates" which Smith interpreted... do you realize that the WAY he interpreted them was by gazing into a HAT! I didn't make that one up!
Sadly, Mormonism is NOT a Christian religion like they would LIKE you to believe. The leadership has been preaching that Mormonism is merely a "different KIND of Christianity" while in truth it is umbilical and heretical. There is also a special ... "curse" ... in the Scriptures that reserves special punishment for leaders of cults like Mormonism, because of the number of "innocents" that they lead astray.
(The leadership WANTS the connection to Christianity because that lends Mormonism legitimacy.)
Joseph Smith was given golden plates and he alone didn't see them, but 11 others testified in the book of Mormon that they saw and held the golden plates too.
As for South Park, not accurate at all, since it was a ridicule of Joseph Smith because one of them grew up Mormon.
It never seems to amaze me that when a real question comes up, and the ask er says "Please Mormons only" tons of Mormon haters have to jump it. Good grief. Is there no common respect anymore?
You received some excellent Mormon answers. So I won't add to those. Do visit a church website. Tons of true information can be found there. But the best thing to do is request a missionary visit. That is what I did and my life has never been better!
First of all, some background: Joseph Smith, Jr., liked the Methodist church and wanted to join it. He prayed for advice and guidance, and he got the surprise of his life. He thought he would be told which church to join. When God and his son, Jesus, appeared to him in response, just as they did to Stephen the Martyr, the answer was "None." He did not at this time create a church, receive any authority, etc. He was only 14 years old, after all.
The last two prophets of ancient times in the Americas created an abridgment (a Reader's Digest Condensed Version) of their sacred writings, putting in only the good parts (astounding sermons on faith, mercy, opposition, repentance, atonement, grace, the resurrection, and the innocence of little children, among others -- and several viscerally satisfying accounts of battles). They didn't have enough time or resources or room (much less the inclination) to write a textbook of geography, history, anthropology, linguistics, or whatever. Their whole purpose was to pass along the most important parts of the scriptures that they had at their disposal in the only way that could withstand the ravages of time -- on gold or on an alloy of gold, hammered smooth and thin. Notice that an alloy would have made the resulting codex of plates much lighter, and it would have made the engravings a little easier to see, since the gold would tend to collect on the surface (at least in the case of immiscible copper alloys). According to the Lord's instructions, they hid it; according to the Lord's instructions, Joseph Smith, Jr., found it -- with a lot of help from an angel along the way once he had grown up for a while.
The problem was that English wasn't spoken 1,600 years ago in the Americas. How to get a poorly schooled boy to translate the plates? Two tools were used. One of them Joseph had found on his own, apparently with some gift of the spirit -- a seer stone that our enemies have made much of. The other was two "interpreters" that looked an awful lot like the Urim and Thummim, right down to being set in silver arcs or bows and attached to a breastplate. As time passed, these tools became used less and less. Two reasons for this include (and they not necessarily the only reasons):
a) Joseph eventually was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Probably again, but this time he had received the priesthood of Aaron from John the Baptist, resurrected.)
b) Joseph received the priesthood order of Melchizedek from Peter, James and John (two resurrected, one translated).
With the gift of the Holy Ghost in full operation by that time and himself ordained to the office of prophet, Joseph had less need of physical implements to strengthen his faith and illuminate his mind. He had the good stuff by then.
Some people would dearly love for you to believe that Joseph Smith, Jr., plagiarized The Book of Mormon. Others want you to believe that he wrote it all himself. Hmm. They can't all be right. The matter is made clearer by telemetry.
Stylometry, or "word print" analysis, proves that Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Solomon Spaulding did not write the major passages of The Book of Mormon. One, then, has to wonder how and why the unknown authors collaborated and remained completely unknown. Gee, maybe Smith really did translate the plates.
So today, the translated abridgment of the Lord's dealings with some of the "other sheep" of Israel stands as a second witness of Jesus Christ as the Lord and the Savior of humanity. It confirms what the Bible actually says and supports it against its detractors. It doesn't do so well at supporting people's philosophies, interpretations of the Bible, and false doctrines, so of course it is hated and vilified.
can someone teach me the story of joseph smith and the golden plates\?
