st0o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Steven Timm) (09/04/90)
There's been a great amount of debate with regards to LDS beliefs here. It seems that a lot of the issues are peripheral, although interesting. The central issue, it seems to me, is, "Was Joseph Smith a prophet of God or not." If he was, then Mormons are right. If he wasn't, then he was a liar and a charlatan. As many have pointed out, the Book of Mormon gives a simple test to determine whether or not it is true. Pray about it, and if you get a "burning in the bosom" you'll know. Since many have given testimony in favor, I think it's only fair \ to say that I studied with LDS missionaries, read the book of Mormon through from cover to cover (which they admitted they themselves had not done) even read "A Marvelous Work and a Wonder" and prayed about it. My result--I concluded J. Smith was *not* a prophet and the Book of Mormon was a forgery. Questions about why J. Smith didn't live up to what's in the Book of Mormon are interesting, but not consequential since there were certainly Bible prophets who made mistakes as well. Steve