Comments on: About

By: alanb

alanb — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 03:25:44 +0000

In reply to Ty. Good idea on the first vision links to LDS.org. I'll get on it. Thanks.

By: Darrin Russell

Darrin Russell — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:31:49 +0000

Excellent job on this site, it’s very much needed today, with SO MANY online critics and skeptics. No questions have been as difficult to answer as that of the lack of or absolutely no trace of DNA relation of the Meso-Americans to Hebrews, of the Middle-East, any sign of Hebrew or Egyptian language, culture and time-line of the Jaredites, Mulekites, Nephites/Lamanites in Meso-America. Fortunately, new research and evidence have found a high concentration of Middle-Eastern DNA in the Great Lakes-region Hopewell and Algonquin Native Americans. Many Hebrew inscriptions have been found, on stones, in the Great Lakes, U.S. region, some with the ten commandments on them. A reformed Egyptian language was used by the Micmac Algonquin, in the New England-region. The Algonquin language still uses many Hebrew words and their customs are very similar or identical to Hebrews of Israel. Steel was widely used in the Great Lakes natives’ region. Earthen mounds are aplenty, numerous villages or cities, have been discovered, some with stone fortifications, or walls and most with wood walls, atop the earth mounds as spoken of in Alma. The Hopewell natives’ timeline is exactly that of the Nephites, or as soon as the Nephites became large enough to appear on the map of archaeology and anthropology: >300B.C. – 400A.D. where they disappeared, almost overnight, due to either a mass plague or genocide, according to non-LDS scholars. Scholars are finding that populations of Hopewell and the Adena, before them, were much larger than originally thought as the tremendous amount of man-hours to build the mounds and structures they built, would have been impossible for a small, nomadic group of peoples and the following of migrating beasts, oral histories of Native Americans saying their ancestors came on boat, originally, from the east and seasonal changes, so great that many suffered greatly, give a North American location, a near-obvious point for the Book of Mormon location. However, no official location has been defined, by the church nor should Meso-American research be dismissed as I’m sure very small groups of Lamanites did venture to Meso-America, to mix among the already-settled Maya and Aztec, of Asia.
Truth is truth and should all be researched, analyzed and prayed about to be accepted.

By: Ethan Pearson

Ethan Pearson — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 20:33:37 +0000

Would you ever need someone to help with translation or transcribing to Spanish?

I also have some other skills that I think could potentially be useful to y’all.

Where would I go to volunteer my effort.

By: Ty

Ty — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 04:14:46 +0000

That video was painful to watch. While I applaud and respect your efforts, the content was not good.

In the film, there is an undertone contempt for leadership in the church. The main character assumed that the “stake president would give him a lecture and tell him to read the articles of faith” and that the Bishop simply would states “I’ve never heard if this”.

In addition, the audience for this website are the members who are having doubts, right? This is the time where you should utilize modern prophets, modern or ancient scripture, etc.

Uctdorf stated recently: “doubt your doubts, not your faith”.

In regards to the first vision section: how come there is no link to the Lds.org site, which does a pretty good job (and provides text to all four visions) resolving the “issue”.

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 21:17:23 +0000

In reply to Deon. agreed!

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 03:30:38 +0000

Thank you for starting this website. I look forward to more content. I also look forward to more references and documentations shown. This has been a relief finding more information here.

When I first found out about the “problems” with the Book of Abraham I felt sick to my stomach. It just didn’t make sense and yet so many had “proof” that it was all a lie. I found very little from member sites and I didn’t dare say much to anyone for fear my concerns became a stumbling block for them. (I think that’s why not much is said because no one wants to make another stumble. Yet, the silence has been so damaging and used against the church.)

How did I find my way? I prayed like never before! I knew God was the ONLY ONE with answers and I knew I could get them from Him! I was ready to follow Him where ever He told me to go… What I got was “they don’t have all the scrolls”. I paused. My thought, “So, that means stay put”. At first I was relieved and was reminded of all the personal blessings I had received through various parts of this Gospel. Then, I was angry. Why would He let us look like fools? I had nothing more to go on, just my answer in faith. I really felt like the blind sheep many accuse us of being. Little by little there is more being discovered. Each little piece has been a quiet simple answer for me. My faith has grown much deeper, my roots stronger than ever, my love for a wise Father in Heaven increased. That’s why I love the last part of the “Alone” video. He gives us enough for us to exercise our faith in Him. The choice is ours.

I am reminded over and over again of the Israelites being bitten by venomous snakes. What was the cure? To look to Moses and the brass serpent God commanded him to make. Many died because 1) it was too easy and 2) that doesn’t make any logical sense! How can looking at a brass serpent cure you from dieing after being bit from a fiery serpent? I don’t think it was special medical brass. I believe it had everything to do with exercising their faith. We are to exercise our faith and look to Christ! Believe Him, trust Him!

Whoever is struggling, don’t give up hope. Answers will come. Being faithful may look weak and foolish to the world and the “educated”, but we can read from any book of scripture to see what happens to them in the end. Hang in there.

By: Steven Pray

Steven Pray — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 01:38:29 +0000

Awesome. Had a four hour conversation with a friend and we got on the subject of some more intellectual aspects of church doctrine. That’s how I found the website and I wish I had seen a lot of this before the conversation.

By: tysum

tysum — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:09:04 +0000

In reply to Alan Bylund. We are currently working on linking documents and summaries to each of the videos.

By: Dennis M. Schuster

Dennis M. Schuster — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 21:12:34 +0000

Excellent website! The alone video is superb and very realistic. We need to take the offensive and supply our brothers and sisters with simple yet scholarly reasons for the truth of what we of the Restoration uphold. Dennis Schuster

By: Name

Name — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 21:41:15 +0000

Dr Muhlestein,
I really like what you’re doing here with this site. I hope you continue to expand and build upon it. Solid apologetics are greatly needed in the church.

I have a brother who recently left the church over historical issues including the Book of Abraham. As a believing Mormon, I’ve been trying to defend the BofA and help him find credible/faithful answers. After I found your site, he sent me the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcyzkd_m6KE

I’m sure you have a rebuttal to the twisted rhetoric that this video spins out. Have you thought about doing an commentary video in response? What do you make of it?

Also, one question that gave me pause was the following. My brother writes:
“Joseph Smith was a sponge and took from other books he owned and that was around him. The BOA came from 4 sources JS had owned: Abraham 1: works of flavius Josephus. Abraham 2, 4-5: was taken from genesis 1,2,12, 11:28-29 from a KJV 1769 edition. Abraham 3: came from Thomas dicks philosophy of a future state 1830 copy JS owned! Abraham 3: also came from Thomas Taylor’s 1816 book “the six books of proclus on the theology of Plato. Volume 2 mainly. All these sources have very strong similarities, and exact ideas as the BOA. I’ve read these sources and they are very similar.”

How would you respond to the claims of plagiarism from contemporary sources? I can’t seem to find much via FAIR, FARMS/Neil A Maxwell Institute, etc. I’m not so worried about the Bible overlap, but I’d be greatly interested in your thoughts.

Please understand that my interest is sincere. I am NOT a wolf (critic) in sheep’s clothing here. I found your site looking for solid apologetics.

Thanks so much.