Crazy things in Book of Mormon
Why do Latter Day Saints fall for all those crazy things in The Book of Mormon? I know the Book of Mormon pretty well. I spend several hours a day reading in the morning and pondering all day. I haven’t come across anything that the typical Protestant would find crazy nor unacceptable. I am not a LDSaint. I used to be but the contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine of the Church drove me out. Sometimes the “crazy things” believed by the LDSaints would lead those who see them to believe that those oddities are derived from the Book of Mormon. Because of this logical, though erroneous, conclusion, they don’t bother to read the Book of Mormon. I think those with a Wesleyan bent will find most of their beliefs covered in the Book of Mormon in a variety of different ways. Most Christian doctrines are taught in the form of narration. Doctrine woven into stories make it extremely readable and interesting. Forget about what you have heard about the LDSaints. Not only do they not get their peculiarities from the Book of Mormon, but, if they were honest, would reject most of the sermons preached in the Book of Mormon if they honestly tried to understand what is written without trying to make their doctrine fit. If you really care about others and actually have Christian beliefs, do this. Read the Book of Mormon and mark doctrinal passages that you think LDSaints ought to know but don’t. You will find hundreds. Then when they come to your door or you otherwise meet with them as coworkers, friends and neighbors or family members, teach them the doctrines that you think are core beliefs of true Christianity using your marked copy. This is more effective than using the Bible because when the Bible contradicts them, they dismiss the offending verses by telling you those verses are mistranslated and the Bible is incomplete. They supposedly will believe that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, so translation problems cannot be a safe nor possible retreat.