RFM, John Dehlin, Nemo and Mike from LDS Discussions team up to discuss the age-old tradition of backdating prophecies, and how Joseph Smith appears to have made use of this same technique.
Bottom Line–It’s easier to predict the future when it is actually in the past!
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While I was painfully watching the latest video called Will Mormon leaders receive church discipline for fraud. You ought to receive discipline for fraud. First of all Nemo you’re not hardly a Mormon you’re a fraud. As you sit in your basement communicating with the people running down these Latter-day saints leaders who have made something out of their lives. been married for 20 30 40 years, and been successful. A loser like you sits in your basement and runs them down. You’re just a loser.
This episode really hit home. During a time of marital crisis I was trying to be a good Mormon and plunge into the Book Of Mormon. One evening I was reading 2 Nephi 27. I was amazed by the detail that proved Joseph Smith to be a prophet and the Book of Mormon a thing of prophecy. How could anyone doubt this?? I looked at the heading, compare to Isaiah 29. “Well if it is there, who could doubt this is a true book?”, I reasoned. I turned to Isaiah and read eagerly. To my astonishment, none of the detail was there! In fact, the content of Isaiah was a metaphor where Nephi related it as history.
I was perplexed but then remembered that plain and precious truths had been removed by the obviously sinister mother of abomination. I brought this up to a friend. He suggested we look at the Dead Sea Scrolls which predate Christian Churches. GREAT IDEA!! To my shock it wasn’t there either. In fact, the Dead Sea Scrolls read almost exactly like the King James.
That was where my shelf started to crack. I pulled a loose thread in the tapestry of my zealous devotion and things began to unravel. “2 Nephi 29 is crap!!!”, I exclaimed to my friend. Fortunately he had already been down the path of deconstruction even though he has chosen to stay with the church. He was a good and gentle guide through my own deconstruction. He helped me not become bitter as I began pursuing the natural question, “If that is wrong, what else is?” He helped me retain my relationship with the Lord as I pulled the Mormon church out of the middle.
I am grateful for this egregious insertion by Joseph Smith into his plagiarism of the Bible. It helped set me free. It helped me on my journey to truly understand the atonement so that I can approach life with a spirit of gratitude and peace instead of fear and obligation. My life is completely different now in every way.
Thank you Joseph for back dating prophecies.