____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ May 4, 2008 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Examples of Error in the Original Book of Mormon (Luther W. Martin) 2) Giving God a Bad Name (Steve Klein) 3) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Examples of Error in the Original Book of Mormon by Luther W. Martin During the few years between the publication of the Book of Mormon (1830), and the death of its "Author and Proprietor," Joseph Smith (1844), much effort was put forth to convince the doubtful world of the truth, accuracy and integrity of the Book of Mormon. In the Journal of Discourses, published by the Utah Mormons (Vol. 11, p. 293), we copy: "Before this was offered to the world, the Lord confirmed it by opening the heavens in broad day light, and sending down an holy angel, who descended in the presence of four individuals, three besides Mr. Smith, and the angel took the plates, and turned them over leaf after leaf, while, at the same time, the voice of the Lord out of the heavens told them it had been translated correctly, commanding them to send forth their testimony to all nations, kingdoms, tongues, and people. They accordingly attached their printed testimony in connection with the Book of Mormon." At the conclusion of the first edition of the Book of Mormon, we copy the following excerpt: "...and we also know that they (the golden plates, LWM) have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety, that the work is true....Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris." In a work entitled A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, by Richards & Little (p. 273) also of the Utah Mormons the following appears: "In council with the Twelve Apostles, Joseph Smith said, 'I told brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.'" So, Joseph Smith and his three friends serve as the "witnesses" and give testimony, that: (1) An angel came down in broad day light. (2) The voice of God from heaven spoke. (3) The Book of Mormon is "the most correct book in the world." And (4) it will get a man closer to God than any other book! All three of Smith's witnesses became apostates by 1838, some eight years after the publication of the Book of Mormon. On page 236 of The Myth of Mormon Inspiration by William Brodie Crouch, we copy as follows: "In 1838, while confined to Liberty Jail in Missouri, Smith wrote of these men, and others: '...ill bred and the ignorant, such as Hinkle, Covill, Phelps, Avard, Reed, Peck, Cleminson, and various others, who are so very ignorant, that they cannot appear respectable in any decent and civilized society, and whose eyes are full of adultery, and cannot cease from sin. Such characters as McLellin, John Whitmer, D. Whitmer, O. Cowdery, and Martin Harris, are too mean to mention, and we had like to have forgotten them'" (Crouch states that this came from photostated papers in the possession of Dr. James D. Bales, Searcy, Arkansas). Notice that the last three men named were Smith's "three witnesses" to his Book of Mormon. Whitmer and Cowdery were excommunicated from the Mormon Church, on April 6, 1938...eight years to the day, from the beginning of the first Mormon congregation. Martin Harris had already been "kicked out" earlier. Some Examples of the First Edition In his book, Mormonism and Inspiration, Jack Free calls attention to the fact that from the first edition of the Book of Mormon to the present, some 6,593 changes have been made in punctuation, and some 5,256 changes in spelling, wording and phraseology, have occurred. These demonstrate the falsehood of Smith's statement, that the Book of Mormon was "the most correct book on earth." We copy some examples showing the lack of correct grammar. "And it had came to pass..." (1 Nephi, p. 14). "And all these things of which I have spoken was done..." (p. 23). "...Nephi, did make bellowses wherewith to blow the fire..." (p. 43). "...the law had ought to be done away... (2 Nephi, p. 106). "...there is no works of darkness..." (p. 118). "...the wild branches have grown, and have overran the roots thereof..." (Book of Jacob, p. 134). "...that many of you have began to search for gold..." (p. 125). "...and this he done, that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ..." (p. 140). "...according to his judgments, which is just..." (Book of Omni, p. 150). "...in all things which is good..." (p. 150). "...many things...has been fulfilled..." (Words of Mormon, p. 152). "...A should have wore these bands" (Book of Mosiah, p. 169). "...and this he done..." (p. 216). "...that they was expressly repugnant to the commandments of God" (p. 220). "...I have wrote unto you..." (Book of Alma, p. 377). "...and the curse of God had fell upon them..." (p. 270). "...I would that ye should adhear to the word of God" (p. 398). (Notice the spelling of adhear.) "...they were exceeding fraid..." (p. 392). "...even back by the same way which they had came..." (p. 392) "...declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher had ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their own hands, but that they had ought to be supported by the people" (Book of Alma, p. 221). "...and this he done..." (p. 225). "...Alma had came to the city..." (p. 243). "...And after he had eat and was filled..." (p. 244). "...our first parents could have went forth..." (p. 257). "...for he had slew many of them..." (p. 273). "...even until they had arriven to the land of Middoni..." (p. 282). "...that there might not be no more sorrow" (p. 303). "...the Devil would never have no power..." (p. 359). Conclusion There are scores, even hundreds of similar mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. But the ones given above serve to show the language used "in the most correct book in the world" -- according to Joe Smith. -- via Guardian of Truth XXX: 4, pp. 117, 120, February 20, 1986 ____________________________________________________ -2- Giving God a Bad Name by Steve Klein Have you ever drawn a conclusion about parents by watching the way their children behave (or misbehave)? Even so, the world is drawing conclusions about our heavenly Father based on the way we behave as God's children. The New Testament specifically mentions three behaviors of God's children that give Him a bad name. 1. Hypocrisy. There are countless people in the world who have decided that God must not be worth serving because so many of His children are hypocrites. The apostle Paul asks, "You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, 'Do not commit adultery,' do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For 'THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,' as it is written" (Romans 2:21-24). When Christians embezzle, rob their employers, gamble at casinos or cheat on income taxes, they cause the name of God to be blasphemed. We have known of preachers in the Lord's church who have preached long and hard against adultery all the while they themselves were guilty of committing it. When such things become known in a community, it harms more than the reputation of the hypocrite; it harms God's reputation. 2. Failing to respect and fulfill our God-given roles. God has ordained order in human society, as well as in the home and in the church. He has established order by assigning roles. For instance, in the church, Christ is the head and members are the body. Every member has its own role or function and must follow the direction of Christ, the head (1 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 5:24a). In society, God placed citizens under the authority of civil government (Romans 13:1-7), and servants under the authority of their masters (1 Peter 2:18). If servants who are Christians disobey or disrespect their masters, it reflects on God. Paul wrote, "Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed" (1 Timothy 6:1). Similarly, if Christians who are citizens fail to obey the laws of their government, it reflects negatively on God. "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake . . . For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (1 Peter 2:13-15). The same principle is true in the home. The Lord has given men, women and children certain roles. By fulfilling our roles, we bring honor and glory to God. Failing to fulfill them brings reproach on us and God. With respect to the role of the woman in the home, Paul said in 1 Timothy 5:14, "Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house; give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully." 3. False teaching. When children of God teach error in God's name, it makes God look bad. In 2 Peter 2:1-2, the apostle Peter wrote, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed." By defending the truth, we defend the reputation of God Himself. The Christian's whole existence should "be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12). Let us determine that we will never do anything to cause others to think less of our God. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, February 17, 2008 ____________________________________________________ -3- News & Notes Anne Mae Jackson (of Denham Springs), whom we mentioned recently as being critically ill, passed away April 28. Her body was laid to rest in Lake Providence, Louisiana. Let those of us who are Christians be praying for all her family and friends. Starting May 4 through the 9, there will be a gospel meeting at the Park Forest church of Christ in Baton Rouge. The guest speaker will be John Kilgore (from Houston, TX). The weeknight services will begin at 7:30. The church meets at 9923 Sunny Cline Drive (at the corner of Aletha Drive). ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________