Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
If memory serves, and mine usually does, Mormons believe that America is the New Jerusalem, originally populated by the lost Exiles who were then wiped out by the Indians. So there's the inherrent racism. then there's the archaeological nonsense with bronze weapons being used by the Jewish exiles 600 years after they fell pretty much completely out of fashion.

Historical inconsistancies in Christianity certainly exist, but they are much less serious, often geographical errors that demonstrate the writer wasn't native to the region he was describing. There's also the fact that only Smith could see the tablets and yet the Mormons succeeded in translating them to Salt Lake City after his death.
I for one am a Mormon apologist. Of all the 35 000 Christian denominations, Mormonism rings most true to what was the original church of Jesus Christ. Only Catholicism has as strong a claim to the original.
I was quite into religious debate during my years in university and met some interesting characters on this board. One in particular, Pindar was a Mormon and former missionary and I took a peek into his religion.
I actually read the Book of Mormon and note the following:
The exiles were not Jews (of the tribe of Judah) but were of Manasseh and Ephraim. They brought a valuable steel sword that became the template for other blades. The families got into a feud and separated. One wicked group (Lamanites) and one faithful (Nephites). The wicked destroyed the faithful and became the "Indians".
Concerning the geography, I for one didn't notice any inconsistencies. It talks about a land in the north and a land in the south separated by a small strip of land (North and South America?).
Besides, any attack on the Book of Mormon can be turned around towards the Bible.