Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!tekmdp!jonw
From: jonw@tekmdp.UUCP (Jonathan White)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Re: changes to the original Book of Mormon
Message-ID: <2239@tekmdp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 23-Sep-83 11:31:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekmdp.2239
Posted: Fri Sep 23 11:31:22 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Sep-83 13:45:23 EDT
Lines: 81

Well, I hope someone is still reading this stuff, because I think that we are 
narrowing in on a crucial point.  In my last article, I produced a quote from 
God saying that neither Joseph Smith nor the original scribe could have 
introduced errors in the Book of Mormon.  Russ replied:

   And the scribe that made later copies?  Oliver Cowdery made a complete
   copy of the text to be used by the printer.  He introduced some errors
   while making the second copy.  

I might have known -- it's the old "double scribe" trick!  (More on this
later.)  I also produced a quote from Mormon historian B.H. Roberts who 
asserted that "the first edition of the Book of Mormon is singularly free of 
typographical errors."  In the face of this learned testimony from a Mormon 
expert, Russ stuck to his story:

   Nevertheless, errors were introduced in the printing process.

I also pointed out three places (there are actually four) in the Book of Mormon 
that were modified to accommodate a doctrinal change, namely the plurality of 
Gods.  Russ responded:
   
   Jon tries to use this example to show that a doctrinal change has been made
   to the Book of Mormon, but the manuscript of the Book of Mormon written by
   Oliver Cowdery and now in possession of the Reorganized Church of Jesus 
   Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the added words.  This was definitely 
   a printer's error.
   
By way of rebuttal, allow me to quote Harry L. Ropp:

   Some Mormon apologists assert that the phrases in question were in the
   original handwritten copies of the Book of Mormon (Joseph had his scribes
   produce two copies so that, in case of theft, one would be preserved) and
   were omitted by the printer.  The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of
   Latter-day Saints is now in possession of one of the originals in the
   handwriting of Oliver Cowdery [this would be the second copy].  In this
   manuscript two of the verses in question have the words "the son of" ADDED
   BETWEEN THE LINES.  In the other two verses nothing has been added, and
   they read exactly as in the first edition of the Book of Mormon.

   The Church Historian's Library (an official arm of the Church of Jesus
   Christ Latter-day Saints) has a portion of the second manuscript [the
   original copy].  It contains three of the four verses in question, and
   these three are in exact agreement with first edition.  (The Mormon
   Papers, p. 42)
   
Clearly, these doctrinal changes were an afterthought.

I also pointed out one of the two places where "king Benjamin" was changed to
"king Mosiah" to avoid an internal contradiction.  Russ responded:

   This is definitely an error in the manuscript made by Oliver Cowdery, [but]
   we don't have the original manuscript of this portion.  

I wonder, then, how Russ is so sure who introduced the error?  Russ then went 
on to rationalize as to why there should be mistakes in the "most correct of 
any book on earth," but I think that if God went to all the trouble to 
translate the gold plates through a common ruffian such as Joseph Smith, He 
would have also made sure that no one else screwed up.

In addition, I mentioned:

 However, the most telling change to the Book of Mormon occurs on the title 
 page and in "The Testimony of Eight Witnesses."  In both places in the 1830 
 edition, Joseph Smith was referred to as the "author and proprietor," whereas 
 the modern edition merely gives him credit for being the "translator."  

Russ replied:

   What else was Joseph to do?  Have the book copyrighted as God or the Angel 
   Moroni as the author?

That might explain why the title page was changed, but it certainly doesn't
account for why a signed statement was altered.

I have now dealt with all of Russ' objections to my statements concerning Book
of Mormon changes.  In a separate article I will further explore the evidence
that proves the Book of Mormon to be a 19th century fabrication.

						Jon White
						Tektronix
						Aloha, Ore