Merkittäviä muutoksia Mormonin kirjassa

For most of the LDS church's 150 year history, it was staunchly maintained by the church leaders that there were no changes in the Book of Mormon of a doctrinal nature. Indeed, Joseph Fielding Smith warned in 1961 that:

...there was not one thing in the Book of Mormon or in the second edition or in any other edition since that in any way contradicts the first edition, and such changes as were made were made by the prophet Joseph Smith because under those adverse conditions the Book of Mormon was published. But there was no change of doctrine. Now, these sons of Belial who circulate these reports evidently know better. I will not use the word that is in my mind." The Improvement Era, Dec.1961, pp.924-925.

Although there are 3,913+ changes in the Book of Mormon; not all of them are minor. Although the recent "line" on the changes in the Book of Mormon from the LDS church is that all the changes are unimportant; actual examination does not bear this out, especially when one considers the contention by Joseph Smith himself (see Saint's Herald, November 15, 1962, p.16.) that the golden plates were supposedly translated letter-by-letter "by the power of God." (History Of The Church, i, p.54-55)

Typos are one thing, profound changes in doctrine, major errors in consistency and common sense are quite another. (Changed parts are highlighted)

Doctrinal Problems:

1) Title page: (both versions)

1830: "...by Joseph Smith, jr., author and proprietor"

Today: "translated by Joseph Smith, jr."

2) First Book of Nephi, p.25

(1830): "Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh."

Today: 1 Nephi 11:18: "...is the mother of the Son of God."

3) First Book of Nephi, p.25

(1830):."...behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father!"

Today: 1 Nephi 11:21: "yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!"

4) First Book of Nephi, p.26

(1830): "And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God was judged of the the world..."

Today: 1 Nephi 11:32: "...yea, the Son of the Everlasting God was judged of the world..."

5) First Book of Nephi, p.32;

(1830): "...that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Saviour of the world."

Today: "..the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world."

6) Second Book of Nephi, p.37;

(1830): "..and the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself not..."(cf. Is.2:6-9)

Today: 2 Nephi 12:9: "and the mean man boweth not down and the great man humbleth himself not..."

7) Second Book of Nephi, p.117;

(1830): "and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people."

Today: 2 Nephi 30:6: "and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and delightsome people."

8) Book of Alma, p.236;

(1830): "I know that Jesus Christ shall come; yea the Son of the only begotten of the Father..."

Today: Alma 5:48: "I know that Jesus Christ shall come; yea the Son,[?] the only begotten of the Father..."

9) Book of Alma, p.303;

(1830): "yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable,.according to their wills.."

(1950): Alma 29:4:"yea, I know that he allotteth unto men [?].according to their wills.. "

Today: Alma 29:4: "yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable,.according to their wills.. "

10) Book of Alma p.315;

(1830): "But behold, as the seed swelleth and sprouteth and beginneth to grow, and then ye must needs say, That seed is good; for behold, it swelleth and sprouteth and beginneth to grow."

Today: Alma 32:30: "But behold, as the seed swelleth and sprouteth and beginneth to grow, and then ye must needs say, That seed is good; for behold, it swelleth and sprouteth and beginneth to grow. And now behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say that I know that this is a good seed; for behold, it sprouteth and beginneth to grow."

11) Book of Alma p.328;

(1830): "yea, and that ye preserve these directors."

Today: Alma 37:21: "yea, and that ye preserve these interpreters."

12) Book of Alma p.328;

(1830): "And now my son, these directors were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled..."

Today: Alma 37:24: "And now my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled..."

Major Errors In Logic, Consistency Or Grammar:

1) Book of Mosiah, p.200;

(1830): "...on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Benjamin had a gift from God..."

Today: Mosiah 21:28: "...on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah had a gift from God..."

2) Book of Mosiah, p.214;

(1830): "My soul was wrecked with eternal torment..."

Today: Mosiah 27:29: "My soul was racked with eternal torment..."

3) Book of Alma, p.260;

(1830): "Behold, the Scriptures are before you; if ye will arrest them, it shall be to your own destruction." (also p.336)

Today: Alma 13:20: "Behold, the Scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them, it shall be to your own destruction."

4) Book of Alma, p.270;

(1830): "And it came to pass, when they had arriven in the borders of the land..." (also p.443)

Today: Alma: 17:13: "And it came to pass, when they had arrived in the borders of the land..."

5) Book of Alma, p.278;

(1830): "the multitude beheld that the man had fell dead..." (also p.310)

Today: Alma 19:24: "the multitude beheld that the man had fallen dead..."

6) Book of Alma, p.299;

(1830): "Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among those who they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved them..."

Today: Alma 27:4: "Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved them..."

7) Book of Alma, p.351;

(1830): "...he went forth among the people, waving the rent of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had wrote upon the rent..."

Today: Alma 46:19: "...he went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part..."

8) Book of Alma, p.353;

(1830): "to remove the cause of diseases which was subsequent to men by the nature of the climate"

Today: Alma 46:40: "to remove the cause of diseases to which men were subject by the nature of the climate"

9) Book of Alma, p.388;

(1830): "For behold, Ammon had sent to their support..."

Today: Alma 57:17: "For behold, Ammoron had sent to their support..."

Many other citations could be given, but "out of the mouths of two or three witnesses..." it is evident that although the Lord supposedly dictated the Book of Mormon letter by letter, he could not spell, keep doctrine or characters straight, and even had serious problems with grammar and logic. What is even more bizarre, is the fact that [...] after all of these changes, there are still many just plain strange things like:

1. Jacob 7:27: "and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu." What is a French word doing in a document supposedly written by a Hebrew in America around 421 BC?
2. Helaman 9:6: "...when the judge had been murdered, he being stabbed by his brother by a garb of secrecy..." How can one be stabbed by a garb (garment)?
3. Alma 13:1: "...my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children..." How can you "cite" someone's mind "forward" to something that happened in the past?
4. Alma 24:19: "...they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war for peace." What is a weapon of peace, and can it be the same as a weapon of war?
5. Alma 43:38: "they being shielded from the more vital parts of the body,..." How does one shield oneself from the vital parts of one's own body?
6. Ether 15:31: "And it came to pass that after he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised up on his hands and fell; and after that he struggled for breath, he died." And we are asked to believe that God wrote this?

This brief study does not even take into account the many scientific impossibilities, anachronisms, and logical contradictions which yet remain in the Book of Mormon.