Studies of the book of mormon is a collection of essays written at the beginning of the 20th century though not published until 1985 by b. To call the book of mormon a daring piece of religious satire is like calling jesus christ superstar a great opera. I have been asked to do an hour long presentation for prospective missionaries this coming sunday evening, and have been asked to provide what i consider to be the top ten arguments against the book of mormon and probably mormonism in general that missionaries are likely to encounter, together with answers for them. Oct 18, 2011 you cant be openly racist, sexist, or antisemitic in america. Whitney clayton tells byu graduates to disconnect from exmormons and avoid relationships with exes. With lowbudget animation, south park manages to do more with less. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. Reviews of the book of mormon musical have been all over the. The book of mormonanother testament of jesus christ, a companion scripture to the bible and a record of gods dealings with the peoples who lived in the ancient americascontains descriptions of three antichrists. However, it appears to follow the basic tropes of the escapefrompolygamy genre established within antimormon literature in the 19 th century, so it loosely fits my search for antimormon lit. Jul 26, 2010 immigration and anti immigration in the book of mormon belt for mormons, july 24 is pioneer day, a holiday commemorating the date when brigham young and an original band of mormon pioneers entered the salt lake valley in 1847. The term, anti mormon first appears in the historical record in 1833 by the louisville daily herald in an article, the mormons and the anti mormons the article was also the first known to label believers in the book of mormon as mormons.
In fact, pivotal mormon doctrines are flatly refuted by the book of mormon. Its followers hold that it is a divinely inspired work revealed to and translated by the founder of their religion, joseph smith. If you want to become a mormon, they will send you the book of mormon to study, not the bible. Which explains why even diehard liberals routinely turn a blind eye to their antigay jokes. Mobs and killers were ever after him, and he was wrongfully. The book of mormon is often called the keystone of the mormon religion. Unearthing a wealth of letters, journals, scrapbooks, promotional materials, and other sources and placing them in conversation with theorists of. Book of mormonthe book of mormon is a foundational sacred text for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints whose members are commonly called mormons, after the book itself. Most antimormon attacks on the authenticity of the book of mormon suffer from several severe logical flaws. Despite its paternalistic expressions of concern for the welfare of the jewish people, and despite its obvious borrowings from biblical judaism, mormonism is basically an antisemitic religion.
Mormon religion used to justify extreme antigovernment ideology in cliven bundy case by cristina maza on 1217 at 10. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of mormon accessible. Immigration and antiimmigration in the book of mormonbelt. The greatest book published in the nineteenth century in the field of religion was the book of mormon. The book of mormon is a foundational sacred text for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints whose members are commonly called mormons, after the book itself. The mormon religion was officially founded in 1830 when the book of mormon was published. Anti mormon acts have been perpetrated with more or less severity since before mormonism was established as the restoration of jesus christs primitive church. Sure, its protagonists are a pair of missionaries in africa. The problem of the longer ending of mark quoted in the book of mormon this 2016 article deals with one of the most interesting arguments against the book of mormon, wherein mormon quotes words of christ to the nephites that closely follow words of christ in the end of the gospel of mark that.
Even as eloquent a defender of the book as terryl givensa professor of religion and literature at the university of richmond who has since the 1990s been an emissary of mormon culture and theology to nonmormon intellectualsfelt compelled to admit that searching for literary wonders in the book of mormon is a bit like seeking lyrical. Book of mormon, work accepted as holy scripture, in addition to the bible, in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints and other mormon churches. An antichrist in the book of mormonthe face may be. Theres a lot more to say on this subject, but my examples should suffice to reassure new readers of the book of mormon that there is no antisemitic theme in the book. The book of mormon has antilds doctrines lds facts. Mormon religion used to justify extreme antigovernment. Why the book of mormon the musical is awesomely lame. The book of mormon and government the book of mormon, like the holy bible, is a record containing the writings of many prophets. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon.
The book of mormon is a vulgar, ugly, offensive and. Religion might make you a nicer person and improve the lives of those around you, but faith in and of itself is not a good thing and the. Top ten books the lds mormon church doesnt want you to. The book of mormon presents no doctrines that are uniquely mormon, and explicitly says that there should be no more doctrines than given in the book 3 nephi 11. Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the latter day saint movement of restorationist christianity started by joseph smith in western new york in the 1820s and 30s.
While the book of mormon only discusses the lamanites, early church leaders believed that this applied to all races, and that everyone in the celestial kingdom would have white skin. Twelve beliefs the mormon church might not want you to know about. Why the message behind the book of mormon musical is so. The word mormon originally derived from the book of mormon, a religious text published by smith, which he said he translated from golden plates with divine. May 09, 2011 the book of mormon musical is antimormon dreck by now youve all heard of the the book of mormon broadway musical, created by the makers of the vulgar comedy show south park in collaboration with one of the people behind the obscene puppet broadway show avenue q. But the religion based upon the 19th century misconceptions preserved within the book of mormon does not reserve its racist precepts for the indians alone. Railroading religion the university of north carolina press. An antichrist in the book of mormonthe face may be strange.
Whitney clayton tells byu graduates to disconnect from. Roberts 18571933, a general authority of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, which examine the validity of the book of mormon as a translation of an ancient american source. Oct 21, 2015 the play is not about the book of mormon. Popular anti religion books meet your next favorite book. Antimormonism and the making of religion in nineteenthcentury america. This song makes crystal clear that its just madeup nonsense, much as some people believe the book of mormon and indeed all organized religion is made up nonsense. Its precisely the beliefs of latterday saints that critics dismiss as strange which produce the behaviors those same critics often applaud. What he doesnt tell the reader is that this paragraph is actually a combination of words and phrases over the course of 25 pages. How the book of mormon counters antisemitism, and etc. The book of mormon gets the literary treatment religion. With the book of mormon, parker and stone are indulging in cultural colonialism of the most insidious. Why isnt anyone rising in righteous anger to condemn this antireligious mockery. This book gives the reader immense background into the faith and its evolution into the modern religion it is now alongside the fundamentalist off shoots which continue to cause unrest.
The locals eat it up and in fact ultimately consider the teachings of elder cunningham to constitute the fourth book of the bible, after the old testament, the new testament and the book of mormon. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1992, 10728. The book of mormon is a vulgar, ugly, offensive and truly. Mormonism was organized as a religion after joseph smith, the movements founder, published the book of mormon in upstate new york in 1830. January 8, 2020 dan peterson patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Apr 15, 2011 which explains why even diehard liberals routinely turn a blind eye to their anti gay jokes. The religion of moses and the book of mormon lauri hlavaty central to the church of jesus christ of latterday saints and to the great work of the lord that has begun to roll forth is a community of believers who possess a sound knowledge of the scriptures. Mormon religion used to justify extreme anti government ideology in cliven bundy case by cristina maza on 1217 at 10. Feb 15, 2011 the book of mormon, the broadway musical by the creators of south park, isnt anti mormon, its anti stupidity.
The book of mormon, the broadway musical by the creators of south park, isnt antimormon, its antistupidity. Answers about mormons and mormon beliefs lds faq latter. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents. Oct 05, 2012 joseph smith translated the book of mormon from gold plates.
Despite its paternalistic expressions of concern for the welfare of the jewish people, and despite its obvious borrowings from biblical judaism, mormonism is basically an anti semitic religion. If anything, mormon leaders have been slowly but steadily deemphasizing native americans over the last three decades, abandoning the grand discourse once used in the 1970s by church leaders like spencer kimball to describe even contemporary native peoples as book of mormon lamanites with a special history and destiny. And a hefty portion of its laughs come at the expense of those friendly doorto. However, it appears to follow the basic tropes of the escapefrompolygamy genre established within anti mormon literature in the 19 th century, so it loosely fits my search for anti mormon lit. Christians, jews, homosexuals, and african people might also be. And a hefty portion of its laughs come at the expense of those friendly doortodoor mormons. Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the latter day saint movement of restorationist christianity started by joseph smith in western new york in the 1820s and 30s the word mormon originally derived from the book of mormon, a religious text published by smith, which he said he translated from golden plates with divine assistance. To the nonmormon faithful, and especially those conservative protestants who consider it an antichristian sect, the church of jesus christ of. In the weeks leading up to the 2012 election, a flurry of strong, balanced media articles explored mormonism and its role in american life. Dec 27, 2010 i have been asked to do an hour long presentation for prospective missionaries this coming sunday evening, and have been asked to provide what i consider to be the top ten arguments against the book of mormon and probably mormonism in general that missionaries are likely to encounter, together with answers for them. The author of the antimormon document we are discussing shows a couple of verses from the book of mormon and then compares them with a paragraph from the book of napoleon.
In 1841, it was revealed that an anti mormon almanac would be published. The book of mormon musical is antimormon dreck sixteen. For example, critics of mormonism have shown convincing proof that the book of mormon is a synthesis of earlier works written by other men, of the vivid imaginings of joseph smith, and of plagiarisms from the king james bible. Books about mormons 36 books meet your next favorite book. Antimormonism and the making of religion in nineteenthcentury america j. As one of many examples, a good article dealing with typical antimormon attacks is that of russell c. Twelve beliefs the mormon church might not want you to. No sooner did joseph smith procure the gold plates from which he translated the book of mormon, then the forces of hell were unleashed against him. So dont go to the play to learn about the book or the religion which regards the book as a. Its not just the mormon religion which feels the force of trey and matts satire.
The 2003 episode about joseph smith all about mormons is funnier, smarter, and spikier than the book of mormonand you can watch it online for free. But these are real characters with real beliefs and thats why the book of mormon is really good. So dont go to the play to learn about the book or the religion which regards the book as a sacred book. Joseph smith translated the book of mormon from gold plates. The problem is that the book has failed under scrutiny on so many levels. Lund, an antichrist in the book of mormonthe face may be strange, but the voice is familiar, in the book of mormon. A book that is bursting with creativity, irony, and scholarly flair, railroading religion is a brilliant history of the making of railroads and religion in mid to late nineteenthcentury utah. The book of mormon musical is antimormon dreck by now youve all heard of the the book of mormon broadway musical, created by the makers of the vulgar comedy show south park in collaboration with one of the people behind the. If this show were a spoof, it wouldnt be the success that it is. There is no evidence of any actual history in the book of mormon.
Beck, native americans, and the book of mormon religion. These collected writings encompass the religious and secular doings of peoples who lived during 1,000 years in the americas, most of them descendents of jacob, whom the lord called israel. The mormon story is that the nephite military commander and prophet moroni buried a history of his people, written on gold plates, in the hill cumorah in ad 421. The authors are inadequately informed about latterday saint history, doctrine, and scripture. The religion of moses and the book of mormon religious. The book of mormon shall stand as a testimony against the world, ether 5. The validity of the churchs claim as the one true church, and joseph smith as the chosen prophet of god, hinges upon whether the book is really an ancient record translated by the power of god or not. If the book of mormon is true, then joseph smith was a prophet. We build enduring faith in jesus christ by making the book of mormon accessible, comprehensible, and defensible to the entire world. Musical, the book of mormon, as an atheist love letter to religion. Sherem was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people. Top 10 facts the mormon church doesnt want its members to.
Jun, 2011 to call the book of mormon a daring piece of religious satire is like calling jesus christ superstar a great opera. Today, the lds church is most prevalent in the united states, latin america, canada, europe, the. The book of mormon, the broadway musical by the creators. Mormon church admits the book of mormon is not historical admin note. Plus, they let a plucky mormon hero proudly assert some of the more eyebrowraising minutiae of that religion with a julie andrewslike confidence. Aug 02, 2015 the tony awardwinning musical, the book of mormon, opened in salt lake city last week. The institute for religious research disputes the sincerity of their conversion and return. Which explains why even diehard liberals routinely turn a blind eye to their anti gay jokes. May 20, 20 the book of mormon and government the book of mormon, like the holy bible, is a record containing the writings of many prophets. A a merciless mocking of religion by the creators of south park b a show with real characters that people of faith even mormons can. Antimormon acts have been perpetrated with more or less severity since before mormonism was established as the restoration of jesus christs primitive church.
Mason goes on to write, the mormon menace thus bridges the historical literatures on antimormonism, the experience of religious outsiders in america, extralegal violence, and postbellum southern religion, politics, and culture, and contributes to the evolving scholarship exploring the complicated relationship of religion and violence. Trey parker and matt stone talk about why the book of mormon isnt actually. The book of mormon might be offensive, but even the mormon. Antimormon acts mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. There are subjective truths that help you lead a better life, but as for the religious stories and miraculous experiences that a religion is built on. Living in the uk i have very little knowledge or understanding of the mormon faith. Although this book was read by less than one percent of americans, it affected that one percent so powerfully as to change the history of the nation. Immigration and antiimmigration in the book of mormon. The only bible that joseph smith relied on was the king james version. The sendup of missionaries from the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is getting a rousing reception. You cant be openly racist, sexist, or antisemitic in america.
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