It is a problem for the Mormon Church that the Book of Mormon Says That the Jews Are the Principal Ancestors of the American Indians.

Reasons to Agree:

List of Reasons

1. Book of Mormon Introduction Statement: The introduction to the Book of Mormon states: "Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel."

2. Historical Teachings of the LDS Church: Many past statements from LDS Church leaders, including Joseph Smith and early church authorities, affirmed that Native Americans were direct descendants of the Jews.

3. Scriptural Support in the Book of Mormon: Various passages in the Book of Mormon (e.g., 2 Nephi 3:3, Alma 10:3) describe the Lamanites as being of the house of Israel, reinforcing the claim of Jewish ancestry.

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Reasons to Disagree:

List of Reasons

1. Modern DNA Evidence: Genetic studies have consistently shown that Native American populations trace ancestry back to Central and East Asia rather than the Middle East. See Wikipedia - Genetics and the Book of Mormon.

2. LDS Church Cover-Up and Revisionism: The introduction to the Book of Mormon was revised in 2006, changing "principal ancestors" to "among the ancestors," demonstrating an Orwellian attempt to rewrite history while maintaining claims of prophetic infallibility.

3. Infallibility vs. Changing Doctrine: LDS leaders claim to speak directly to God and declare the Book of Mormon the most correct book ever written. However, historical revisions and doctrinal shifts suggest a pattern of altering past claims while insisting on prophetic authority.

4. Parallel to Political Rewriting of History: Just as political scandals (e.g., Whitewater, Trump's January 6th justifications) involve covering up mistakes while asserting authority, the LDS leadership similarly revises past teachings while maintaining claims of infallibility.

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Score Analysis:

Scoring Criteria

• # of Reasons to Agree: 3

• # of Reasons to Disagree: 4

• # of Reasons to Agree with Reasons to Agree: 0

• # of Reasons to Disagree with Reasons to Agree: 0

• Total Idea Score: 3-4=-1

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Supporting Evidence:

Evidence Scores

• Books That Agree:

  • The Book of Mormon – Joseph Smith (More Books)

  • Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith – Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith

• Books That Disagree:

  • Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church – Simon G. Southerton

  • An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins – Grant H. Palmer

• Legal References That Agree: Local, Federal, and International Laws

  1. Fraud: Lying to obtain financial or personal gain can result in criminal charges, such as wire fraud, tax fraud, and securities fraud. The LDS church lies to its members, hides its past mistakes, and still claims to be infallible, requiring members in good faith to pay 10% of their income to the church, which is built on lies.

  2. False Advertising: Companies can be sued for misleading consumers about products or services.

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Interests and Motivations:

Interest Analysis

• The interest of Those Who Agree:

  • Exposing historical and doctrinal revisions

  • Promoting scientific and genetic research

  • Advocating historical accuracy in religious narratives

• The interest of Those Who Disagree:

  • Defending traditional LDS teachings

  • Upholding religious faith in the Book of Mormon

• Common Interests:

  • Seeking and promoting truth

• Opposing Interests:

  • Defending faith-based interpretations vs. scientific evidence

  • Maintaining institutional credibility

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Media That Supports the Idea:

Media Analysis

• Websites That Agree:

  • Simon Southerton’s Blog

  • Wikipedia - Genetics and the Book of Mormon

• Websites That Disagree:

  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  • Book of Mormon Central

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Multimedia Analysis:

• Images That Support the Idea: Supporting Images

• Videos That Support the Idea:

  • Does DNA Evidence prove the Book of Mormon is false? https://youtu.be/-yZ7WEfPOx8

• Songs That Support the Idea: Supporting Songs

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Potential Benefits of Accepting This Idea:

List of Benefits

• Greater understanding of LDS doctrine and its evolution over time.

• Improved reconciliation between religious faith and scientific findings.

• Encouragement of open dialogue between faith communities and academia.

• Increased awareness of institutional revisionism and historical accuracy.

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Conclusion:

If you disagree with the score or analysis, you can contribute by posting additional reasons to agree or disagree. Each contribution will affect the total idea score, ensuring a dynamic and community-driven evaluation process.

It is Chauvinistic to tell women that their place is in the home as Moms

Reasons to agree:

1. If it is a woman telling another woman that being a stay at home mom was better than they expected, from her personal experience, it could be OK. But trying to make a blanket statement that you try applying to all women, devalues them as individuals (at least the ones that don't want to fit that mold).

LDS teaching and doctrine are sexist and chauvinistic

A man will get nearer to God by abiding by the Book of Mormon's precepts than by any other book -1

Reasons to agree: +0

1. 
   

Reasons to disagree: 1

1. The New Testament will get you closer to God than the Book of Mormon.
   

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree: -1

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: 0

Total Idea Score: -1

Don't like the score? It is easy to change the score. Just post a reason to agree or disagree with the overall idea, or any of the reasons and the score will change

D&C 132 is pretty terrible +3

D&C 132 is the section of D&C (Mormon Scripture) that Joseph Smith explains the doctrine of Poligamy. Here is the whole thing, but it gets bad here:

50Behold, I have seen your ^asacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your ^bsacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape, as I^caccepted the offering of Abraham of his son Isaac.

Commentary: When he says "sins" remember that this revelation was given in 1843. In 1838  Oliver Cowdery wrote a letter claiming that Smith had an Affair with Fanny Alger. At least this seems to indicate that Oliver was still a descent guy, which seems weird. Some people claim that he was collaborating with Joseph Smith, and that the two of them made the whole thing up... 

 51Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to ^aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

These are some weird mind games that Joseph Smith keeps playing with people.... But what was he talking about. 

 52And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, ^areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

This is talking about extra wives. How dare he talk about "virtue" and "purity" when he was marrying other men's wives, while they were still married. 

 53For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been ^afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

The crazy thing is that Joseph Smith got smart, good people to follow him. 

 54And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and ^acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be ^bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

Here Joseph threatens Emma that if she does not let Joseph have multiple wives, that she will be destroyed. Oh, I mean the Lord threatened her... yeah, that's right.

 55But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ^ahundredfold (of wives?) in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives (yep wives!) and children, and crowns of ^beternal lives in the eternal worlds.

 56And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid ^aforgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, (I wish I had the Lord around to threaten my wife to forgive me, so that she could be forgiven her trespasses) wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to^brejoice.

 57And again, I say, let not my servant Joseph put his property out of his hands, lest an enemy come and destroy him; for ^aSatan^b seeketh to destroy; for I am the Lord thy God, and he is my servant; and behold, and lo, I am with him, as I was with Abraham, thy father, even unto his ^cexaltation and glory.

 58Now, as touching the law of the ^apriesthood, there are many things pertaining thereunto.

 59Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as was ^aAaron, by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that ^bsent me, and I have endowed him with the ^ckeys of the power of this priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and according to my law and by my word, he will not commit ^dsin, and I will justify him.

 60Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.

 61And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse ^aanother, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

(Except Joseph married women that were already married to other men!)

 62And if he have ^aten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.

 63But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to ^amultiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be ^bglorified.

 64And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law.

 65Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take ^aHagar to wife.

 66And now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will reveal more unto you, hereafter; therefore, let this suffice for the present. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega. Amen.