Youtube Apologetics

[Guest MormonGator]

Coincidentally, I am reading the book of Abraham in my personal scripture study now. I'm marvelling at the depth and meaningfulness of the book.

Oh Vort, you silly fool. Don't you know that book is fake??

(Kidding everyone. I fully accept the Book of Abraham as scripture!) 

[cdowis]

This is a link to a playlist of videos addressing the Book of Abraham issues.

http://mormonchallenges.org/category/scriptures/bookofabraham/

[cdowis]

I have created my own channel on youtube.  Basically I am using my best videos that I use in apologetics,  and other videos that the church has released,.  Trying to broaden the audience with fresh titles.  

 

One successful title is "The Mormon church and Syrian refugees".

Edited December 14, 2015 by cdowis

[Guest MormonGator]

 

 

One successful title is "The Mormon church and Syrian refugees".

 Is that your English accent as the narrator , mate? 

Edited December 14, 2015 by MormonGator

[cdowis]

I didn't create the video.  I just downloaded it from the Mormon Channel of youtube, and uploaded it with the new title into my own channel.

[Guest MormonGator]

I didn't create the video.  I just downloaded it from the Mormon Channel of youtube, and uploaded it with the new title into my own channel.

 To be honest I think you are doing something great for the church. Keep it up. 

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Saw the plates with "spirit eyes"

 

RESPONSE

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629099/The-plates-of-the-Book-of-Mormon-As-material-as-anything-can-be.html

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Joseph Smith is saying he saw something the Bible makes clear NO MAN (no person) has seen God.

 

RESPONSE

Ex 33 [11] And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

 

And how is this possible? Christ explained it to the disciples Matt 19 [26] But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

 

It is impossible for a man to see God, but with God, all things are possible.

[Guest]

CRITIC

Joseph Smith is saying he saw something the Bible makes clear NO MAN (no person) has seen God.

 

RESPONSE

Ex 33 [11] And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

 

And how is this possible? Christ explained it to the disciples Matt 19 [26] But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

 

It is impossible for a man to see God, but with God, all things are possible.

 

Isn't it also that we cannot see God the Father but the same does not apply to God the Son?

[LeSellers]

Isn't it also that we cannot see God the Father but the same does not apply to God the Son?

Joseph saw both.

Lehi

[Guest]

Joseph saw both.

Lehi

 

Yes, yes.  Good point.

[cdowis]

This is a hit!!  I have over 500 views on this video so far.  

 

A Baptist Minister Talks about the Bible and the Book of Mormon

https://youtu.be/p8X8a7DtwUI

 

I have posted this on several popular youtube videos which are critical of the church.  It has eight likes and one dislike.

Edited December 24, 2015 by cdowis

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Adam God Theory

 

RESPONSE

We do not believe in inerrancy. Here is a statement on what constitutes official doctrine and how the members are protected by correct doctrine.
++++++++++++++

Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency(the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture, the Bible,, Book of Mormon, the;Doctrine and Covenants;and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/approaching-mormon-doctrine

 

An official statement made on this subject by President Spencer W. Kimball, made in the Priesthood session of October conference 1976.

"We hope that you who teach in the various organizations, whether on the campuses or in our Chapels, will always teach the orthodox truth. We warn you against the dissemination of doctrines which are not according to the Scriptures and which are alleged to have been taught by some of the General Authorities of past generations. such, for instance, is the Adam-God theory. We denounce that theory and hope that everyone will be cautioned against this and other kinds of false doctrine." (See Ensign, November 1976 p. 77)

This theory was never accepted as doctrine of the church, and contradicted the teachings of the scriptures, and the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Indeed it contradicted statements of BY who stated that Michael was subordinate to Jesus Christ.

Such a situation also existed in the early Christian church with some of the writings of Paul.  Peter warned
2 Peter 3 [15] And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
[16] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Edited December 31, 2015 by cdowis

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Various negative responses to our discussion

 

RESONSE

I have done my research, and you are very frustrated that I am able to respond with documented facts.  You can only respond with what you have been told..

Nothing personal, but they have lead to to a very dark place and you now realize that you are unable to find your way out of it.  But Heavenly Father can help you.

I sincerely invite you to visit our meetings and to speak with the missionaries.  Come and see what we have to offer.

[cdowis]

CRITIC (PART 2)

Book of Mormon evidence

 

RESPONSE

(See a previous  post on the subject)

Have you actually done an investigation on Book of Mormon research -- for example,yu will find this video instructive
https://youtu.be/dJ7oJA5E_vM?t=13m
https://youtu.be/eKrpkpVxFi0?list=FLOGthnff2vitBgcB66Ngm1A  (start at minute 45:00)
https://youtu.be/7920HLmknNQ?list=FLOGthnff2vitBgcB66Ngm1A
 

[cdowis]

Baptist Minister talks about the Book of Mormon

 

over 10,000 views now.

 

25,000

Edited January 6, 2016 by cdowis

[cdowis]

The Plan of Salvation as only Bro. Jake can tell it.

https://youtu.be/YX-3YZO_dyU

 

Coming from someone who satirizes Mormons. 

Edited January 3, 2016 by cdowis

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Then you have the problem with plants being alive for millions of years before the sun.

 

RESPONSE

The Genesis account is only one of several creation accounts, as found in modern revelation.  The one most familiar to the church members have the third day (division of time) as the creation of the "bodies of light"  (sun, moon, stars), and the fourth day for the plants.*

Also, this third day was actually the removal of the veil over the earth (clouds) so that the light of the light bodies would appear on the surface of the earth.  For example, the stars already existed for billions of years previously.

Finally, the creation was not "poof" but a combination of natural laws and the principle of divine organization.  Think of it as a building or structure using materials at hand with an architect's plan and a construction crew.

Don't get us confused with the Creationists.

 

* This account is unpublished but I did not mention it in my response.

Edited January 6, 2016 by cdowis

[Sunday21]

Good work cdowis!

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Book of Abraham issues

 

RESPONSE

Kerry Muhlestein,. PhD in Egyptology at UCLA talks about recent research on the Book of Abraham.

https://youtu.be/oRzU6C5Wb8U

 

See also

Edited September 15, 2017 by cdowis

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Joseph Smith boasted that he did more than Jesus to keep a church together.

 

RESPONSE

Christ's mission was not church building and maintenance. He left that task to his apostles such as Paul. So would it not be a correct statement to say that Paul and the apostles did more to build up the church than Jesus.

[LeSellers]

CRITIC

Joseph Smith boasted that he did more than Jesus to keep a church together.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Lehi

Edited January 10, 2016 by LeSellers

[cdowis]

CRITIC

Independent evidence for the Book of Mormon

 

RESPONSE

Here is a letter from W.F. Albright in response to a letter from a critic of the church

 

Dear Mr. Howard:Thanks for sending me a copy of the publication of Joseph Smith's Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar. There does appear to be evidence that Joseph Smith had studied some Egyptian. For one thing, he undoubtedly spent a great deal of money and effort in trying to master Egyptian, but, as you know, when the Book of Mormon was written, Egyptian had just begun to be deciphered and *it is all the more surprising that there are two Egyptian names, Paanch and Pahor(an) which appear together in the Book of Mormon in close connection with a reference to the original language as being "Reformed Egyptian." *

 

I read an extremely interesting account by Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History, in chapter 12, in which she deals with Joseph Smith's tremendous efforts to learn languages. *There were, however, as yet no Egyptian grammars or dictionaries in existence,* so the best he could do was to follow books from the seventeenth and eighteenth centures (including some from the nineteenth) which treated the hieroglyphs very much as Horapollo did about the sixth century A.D.--as pure ideographs. Joseph Smith's translation does not, however, follow the pseudo-Neo-Platonism of Athanasius Kircher in the seventeenth century, but is a kind of quasi-biblical composition. In any case it has nothing whatever to do with the original Egyptian manuscript of a copy of the Book of the Dead.The supposed digits have nothing whatever to do with the figures. You must remember that our digits go back to India through the Arabs and were not brought to Europe until less than a thousand years ago.I do not for a moment believe that Joseph Smith was trying to mislead anyone; I accept the point of view of a Jewish friend of mine at the University of Utah, that he was a religious genius and that he was quite honest in believing that he really could decipher these ancient texts. But to insist that he did is really doing a disservice to the cause of a great church and its gifted founder.Cordially,(signature)W. F. Albright

 

Here is his biography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_F._Albright

NOTE  I hope to get an image of the original letter.  I have seen it but misplaced the link.

[cdowis]

A suggestion for an apologist ==>> don't bring a swizzle stick to a gun fight. Don't pretend you know what you are talking about, when you are unprepared.

 

A suggestion for an apologist ==>> don't get into a live debate with a professional antiMormon. You will only embarrass yourself and the church.

[cdowis]

Dr. James White has been a professional antiMormon for several decades.  I was astonished when I recently came across a video of one of his early a training seminars on Mormonism,  where he related a temple encounter 

He was not able to deny the reality of the experience.

 

You might find this interesting   https://youtu.be/HMuHpG0__F8

Edited January 23, 2016 by cdowis