re studies on book of mormon date tue apr gmt from carolyn jean fairman cfairman leland stanford edu agrino enkidu mic cl andres grino brandt asks about mormons there are some mention about events places or historical persons later discovered by archeologist one of the more amusing things in the bom is a claim that a civilization existed in north america aroun where the mystical plates were found not only did it use steel and other metals but it had lots of wars very ot no one has ever found any metal swords or and traces of a civilization other than the native americans this is just one example from free inquiry winter the following is an introduction to the article joseph smith and the book of mormon by george d smith the introduction is written by paul kurtz mormonism the church of jesus christ of latter day saints claims a worldwide membership million it is one of the world s fastest growing religions with as many as new converst in alone because of the church s aggressive missionary program covering more than one hundred countries it is spreading even to third world countries mormonism is both puritanical in moral outlook and evangelical in preachment the church is run along strict authoritarian lines led by a president who allegedly receives revelations directly form god and a group of twelve apostles who attempt to maintain orthodoxy in belief and practice the church is opposed to abortion pornography sexual freedom women s rights and other in its view immoral influences of secular society and it forbids the use of tobacco alcohol coffee and tea centered in salt lake city the church is extremely wealthy and politically powerful in utal and many other western states among well know present day mormons are ezra taft benson former secretary of agriculture the osmond family the mariotts of the hotel empire and a score of high placed government officials the mormon church was founded in western new york in by joseph smith who claimed that by divine revelation be had found gold plates containing hieroglyphics buried on a hill and that with the help of visits from the angel moroni he had been able to translate the writing into the book of mormon the basis of mormon belief this book written by the commandment of god claims that the ancient hebrews settled in america about b c e and were the ancestors of the american indians mormons believe that those who have been baptized in the true church will be reunited after death and that deceased non mormon family members can be baptized by proxy and thus join their relatives in the hereafter because of these beliefs mormons have been considered outcasts by mainline christian denominations and as heretics by religious fundamentalists joseph smith was a controversial figure in his day he was both worshiped as a saint and denounced as a fraud because of persecution he led his band of loyal followers from palmyra new york westward to ohio and then to illinois where in he was shot to death by an agry mob brigham young who reportedly had as many as eighty wives took over the leadership of the church and led the mormons further westward to found the new zion in salt lake city following the teachings of joseph smith in the practice of polygamy was perhaps the mormons most controversial practice in nineteenth century america while other religions go back many centuries muhammadanism years christianity and judaism and attempts to examine their beginnings are difficult extensive historical investigation of mormon roots is possible some mormons are willing to examine this history objectively bu others maintain that such scrutiny is dangerous to the faith in the following pages free inquiry presents two articles about the mormon church first george d smith a lifelong member of the church provides a detailed critical examination of joseph smith and his claim the the book of mormon was divinely revealed second we present a portion of an interview with philosopher sterling mcmurrin also a mormon since birth who questions the treatment of the history of the church by mormon authorities paul kurtz the article itself is super c jimtims p psilink com
