Snow

I'm still trying to figure out HOW Satan has influence anywhere, temple or not. Any ideas?

Paul was an apocalypticist. He expected that the end was near. One interpretation of his stance re marriage or slavery was that since the end was near anyone, it was best of people to focus on their salvation and not put their focus into changing their social standing.

Well there you go. You disagree with someone so rather than engage in the issue, you dismiss them as whinning. Clever and oh so helpful.

Okay - so one definition of translate is "to put in simpler terms" or "to express in different words" but the general understanding of what translate means as it relates to the Bible is the process of converting it from one language into another language and in that sense "translation" doesn't really express what Joseph Smith did. A definition of "edit" is "to revise or correct, as a manuscript" and that seems to better express, I think, what happened but I see that you are right, either could be technically correct. Thanks

I initial irony was lost on me... but now I see it.

Uh, no. The Golden Plate were written in a language other than English and Joseph Smith converted them to English. Though his methodology was unique, it was a translation. In contrast to a translation, Joseph Smith took the King James Version in English and then edited it, no translation was involved.

I second what livy111us said. There are many BoM commentaries but Gardner's sets a new standard. I recently bought the collection to prepare for SS class next year. The guy from Benchmark, where I buy most my LDS books in SLC said that Gardner makes the other authors look lazy by comparison.

That angels don't have wings is obvious. No living, breathing, thinking human being (at least no living, thinking Mormon) would believe otherwise. That angels are depicted as having wings is simply an art convention. If someone says otherwise, surly they are pulling your leg.

It wasn't a translation. He didn't translate anything.

If God loved people, wouldn't he eliminate all warfare? Since God made humans warm-blooded, why did he invent snow? If God cared about mankind, why does he allow country music.

Are you saying that the wingedness or winglessness of angels in a matter of doctrine - not art?

Mormons.

What evidence is there that Evangelicals are any happier than Mormons or anyone else?

Wings? Neither do angels have feet, or hands or arm, legs or bodies. They're angels for heaven's sake. Look at it is this way - if someone requires a written statement to accept that angels don't have wings - then they likely aren't bright enough to even read the statement.

Stay a Christian? Now you are showing your true colors. You are aren't here for any reason but to insult faithful followers of the gospel. It's not like it wasn't obvious before but you can't help but make it even plainer. BTW, I knew you would avoid holding your own beliefs re the Bible to the same standard you sought to apply to believers in the Book of Mormon. You are nothing if not transparent.

doss, Do you think I will be waiting a long time for your response?

Most of that is simply cut and paste out from another message board ( Borde, Guth, and Vilenkin’s Past-Finite Universe Debunking William Lane Craig ) so I wonder if you even understand what it is your are posting... but, do you really claim that the scientists in question "PROVED" that any universe... cannot be infinite in the past... ? That would be a neat trick indeed since no other universe beyond this one has been proven to even exist.

You mean "SOME" Christians believe that. I am curious as to your point. Do you mean to imply that because some Christians believe that, it must be true?

As it so happens, just last night I cast all evil spirits out of my house, the neighborhood, city, state, country, world, solar system and made sure that they won't ever come back. Tomorrow I am going to cast them out of the galaxy. You can check if you like but I am sure that you won't be able to find any.

Alright doss, What evidence/"known fact" that is "grounded in truth" is there that: 1 Jesus was born of a virgin 2 Jesus is the Son of God 3 Jesus is the Christ 4. Died for your sins It's just a guess but I'd predict that you won't be able to answer. For that matter... what known fact grounded in truth is there that Jesus actually was raised from the dead. Again I'll predict that you won't be able to offer a single known fact grounded in truth. At best you will be able to offer a few, conflicting, anonymous, non-eyewitness accounts, composed in unknown locations, decades and decades after the supposed events (up to 8 or 9 decades)... a far, far cry from anything approaching fact or proof. Am I mistaken or does most of your faith meet your own definition of blind or stubborn faith?

Okay, Where or how did you get such an impression and how many active members do you thing there are?

Okay - I'll play along. What is the average temple's square footage. Or, if you like, use the median temple's size.

Legal, scientific, whatever. It doesn't matter because the poster made a claim they have no ability or intention of demonstrating. To claim that the has been validated by archaeology or history is absurd. Certainly some of the stories of the Bible can be shown to have situated in real historical places but so what. The stories of the early LDS Church can be demonstrated conclusively to have occurred in real historical places with real historical people but that doesn't prove that the LDS Church's claims of divines origin are true.

Needed - no, appreciated, yes.

Er, I've never heard of anyone that was ashamed of the Bible. It makes me wonder why you say that. Is someone close to you ashamed? As to whether or not it 100% accurate... you can't seriously expect that anyone who has actually read the Bible would agree with that can you?