tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post6048048806004701161..comments2023-10-30T04:38:32.153-06:00Comments on Mormon411: The Church IS A CultMormon411http://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-47886255157806022562008-08-21T12:40:00.000-06:002008-08-21T12:40:00.000-06:00Hi there,You've come to a very important point. J...Hi there,<BR/><BR/>You've come to a very important point. Just because we have evidence, does not mean that we have faith. The two do not equal each other. There are many scholars that know that Joseph Smith was somehow right on a number of ancient facts, yet they still do not believe he was a prophet of God or that the Church is true (See this <A HREF="http://www.meridianmagazine.com/Bryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-30786799633532792202008-08-21T11:29:00.000-06:002008-08-21T11:29:00.000-06:00Hi Bryce,If you're still around, I had one other t...Hi Bryce,<BR/><BR/>If you're still around, I had one other thought. I've briefly browsed through the info and when I get a little more time I'll read it more thoroughly. But my question is this, if indeed Joseph Smith did get many things right that he couldn't have possibly guessed or otherwise known, it would be a significant thing. I mean, theologists around the world would recognize Joe as Mormon411https://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-86693412525246735542008-08-19T07:29:00.000-06:002008-08-19T07:29:00.000-06:00The "Echoes" book is available online for easy acc...The "Echoes" book is available online for easy accessibility at the link I included.<BR/><BR/>There is nothing in this life that has made me happier. I wish you all the best. Let me know if you'd ever like to discuss anything.Bryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-40190011088540477122008-08-19T07:16:00.000-06:002008-08-19T07:16:00.000-06:00Thanks, it's going to take me a while since you ha...Thanks, it's going to take me a while since you have provided a lot of information. I'll see if the library has the books since that will be faster and cheaper than buying them.<BR/><BR/>But really the bottom line is this, you believe, I don't. I have no right to tell you that you can't or shouldn't believe. In fact, if you truly are happy with the church, then I am truly happy for you!<BR/><Mormon411https://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-75504993897960967122008-08-19T06:47:00.000-06:002008-08-19T06:47:00.000-06:00The gospel is simple, but sometimes our understand...The gospel is simple, but sometimes our understanding of it is weak.<BR/><BR/>Since the countless things he got right could have happened by chance only in about 1 in a billion, I'm casting my vote for Joseph (e.g. 100+ hits in the BoM, "<A HREF="http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=8&chapid=" REL="nofollow">Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon</A>", online for free).Bryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-65248059245054057922008-08-18T23:26:00.000-06:002008-08-18T23:26:00.000-06:00It seems that whenever something does not have a l...It seems that whenever something does not have a logical explanation, it is convenient to play the "gods ways are higher than our ways" card. Sorry but I just can't accept that. The gospel is supposed to be simple, right? but apparently it is anything but.<BR/><BR/>I just go by the evidence. If you feel that you have valid evidence supporting the BoA please give me the references and I'll Mormon411https://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-50917442210979182672008-08-18T15:05:00.000-06:002008-08-18T15:05:00.000-06:00The ways of God are sometimes unexplainable by our...The ways of God are sometimes unexplainable by our finite mortal minds. I think if you'd study the subject a bit more you'd find much evidence of truth in the Book of Abraham when compared with many ancient documents being discovered today, things which Joseph could clearly not have known at his time and place. Critics have the hardest time explaining these bulls eyes. But you are right in oneBryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-44115700682566175972008-08-18T14:40:00.000-06:002008-08-18T14:40:00.000-06:00With all due respect, I disagree. As the missionar...With all due respect, I disagree. As the missionaries like to say in reference to the Book of Mormon, do you need to eat the whole cake in order to know that it tastes good? No, you just need one bite and that is what we have here.<BR/><BR/>The bottom line is that the papyrus scroll is from Egypt 2,000 years after the time of Abraham. It is a common text that has absolutely nothing to do with Mormon411https://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-74612198551431968362008-08-18T09:56:00.000-06:002008-08-18T09:56:00.000-06:00I might again mention that we currently only have ...I might again mention that we currently only have about 13% of the papyri that Joseph Smith originally had, so it is very difficult, if not impossible, task to determine whether or not Joseph's translation is correct. You should check out Nibley's book "The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment" too, as he translated all of the papyri that the Church recovered, and it revealsBryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-25896609275647541772008-08-18T09:37:00.000-06:002008-08-18T09:37:00.000-06:00Thank you, Bryce. I've checked out the link you p...Thank you, Bryce. I've checked out the link you provided. It appears that Bushman is trying to approach apologetics from a different angle. His approach is to try and inform the members why apostates leave and show members that they are still good people. If he encourages the church leaders to come clean about their past, then it's not all that bad. I wonder, however, how long it will be Mormon411https://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-76362435519835912962008-08-18T07:41:00.000-06:002008-08-18T07:41:00.000-06:00You should read Richard Bushman's recent "Joseph S...You should read Richard Bushman's recent "<A HREF="http://lifeongoldplates.blogspot.com/2008/08/bushmans-introduction-to-joseph-smith.html" REL="nofollow">Joseph Smith and His Critics</A>."Bryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-55273393761185111762008-08-17T23:24:00.000-06:002008-08-17T23:24:00.000-06:00Wow! Three TBM commenters! This post must have r...Wow! Three TBM commenters! This post must have really struck a nerve with someone!<BR/><BR/>Bryce, can you elaborate a bit more? BTW, nice web site... I'll be lurking to find the goodies. Tell you what, since your site is all one sided and so is mine, how about we exchange links?<BR/><BR/>Seth, ironically, all of Mormonism is "brainless". What exactly are you saying? Actually, I'm bitter Mormon411https://www.blogger.com/profile/04113317471178740266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-12074838709676782092008-08-17T15:35:00.000-06:002008-08-17T15:35:00.000-06:00I read what you had to say and we must have attend...I read what you had to say and we must have attended two different churches. I guess you really needed to vent.Ian Hornbargerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06262311270798582952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-75762529024182357492008-08-17T12:40:00.000-06:002008-08-17T12:40:00.000-06:00Sounds more like you chose to live a particularly ...Sounds more like you chose to live a particularly brainless brand of Mormonism and now you're bitter the Church didn't wipe your nose for you.<BR/><BR/>No one ever told me what to read in this Church. I've never felt like the Church's history was hidden from me any more than the ugly parts of US history are hidden from any average American. Sure, I didn't know Joseph had multiple wives as a kid. Seth R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13769247769345052208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6889091745815151535.post-8520096219548137752008-08-17T08:56:00.000-06:002008-08-17T08:56:00.000-06:00Ummm..... no.Ummm..... no.Bryce Haymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12819534334979107852noreply@blogger.com