LDS: If the book of Mormon is true then why has it been changed 3913 times?

Question

If the book of Mormon is the most correct of all books then why has it deen changed so much? Ofcourse I can see that typos and gramar changes might be done but I am refering to delibrate changes in the text itself. Names have been changed. Additional words inserted. Sentences redacted. Does this prove the book of mormon is of human orgins?


Examples are: 1 Nephi 11:21; 19:20; 20:1 and Alma 29:4. Compare these with the original Book of Mormon.

Yes I realize and concede that some corrections might have been typos or spelling errors. Yet the examples I have chosen to show you are not changes due to grammar, spelling or typos.

1 Nephi 8:4, which originally read, “for, behold, me thought I saw a dark and dreary wilderness,” was changed to, “for behold, me thought I saw in **my dream**, a dark and dreary wilderness”.

1 Nephi 20:1 originally read: “Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah.” Whereas the 1840 clarified this reading: “Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah

1 Nephi 11:18, for instance, we read: “Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh.” In the 1837 edition this was changed to: “Behold, the virgin whom thou seest, is the mother of the son of God, after the manner of the flesh

Several other Book of Mormon passages were corrected to clarify the distinction of Christ instead of the Father. The critics have claimed that this shows that Joseph Smith originally believed in a Trinitarian God, that his uniquely LDS views of God evolved later, and that he changed later editions of the Book of Mormon to harmonize with new views. Author Van Hale, however, has shown that the 1830 edition amply teaches the belief that Jesus is the son of God, and that the later changes were simply for clarification of a doctrine already present in the Book of Mormon. (Hale, 35.) Among such scriptures are: (Jesus is son of God) 1 Ne. 10:17; 11:6-7, 24; 25:16, 19; 31:11-21; Jac. 4:5-11; Hel. 3:28; 3 Ne. 9:15; (Jesus is the son of the Father) Al. 5:48; 3 Ne. 11:7; 12:19; 14:21; 18:27; 28:8, 10; Mor. 4:3, 5:2; (Jesus is distinct from the Father) Jac. 4:5; 3 Ne. 11:7, 32; 17:16; 19:18-31; 20:46; 26:2 15; 27:28-30; Mor. 7:27; 9:26. (Ibid.)

Another change is the change of “Benjamin” to “Mosiah” in Mosiah 21:28 of the 1830 Book of Mormon, where in Ammon tells Limhi of the translation gifts possessed by “Benjamin” (1830). “The problem is fairly obvious,” writes one such critic, “for Mosiah 6:5 reads, ‘And King Benjamin lived three years and he died.’ Fifteen chapters later, however, he is alive and well in the 1830 Book of Mormon.”

First Book of Nephi, p.25 (1830):."...behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father!" Today: 1 Nephi 11:21: "yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!"

First Book of Nephi, p.26 (1830): "And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God was judged of the world..." Today: 1 Nephi 11:32: "...yea, the Son of the Everlasting God was judged of the world..."

First Book of Nephi, p.32; (1830): "...that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Saviour of the world." Today: "..the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world."

Second Book of Nephi, p.117; (1830): "and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people." Today: 2 Nephi 30:6: "and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and delightsome people."


I could list many, many, many, many more but I think I have made my point clear enough. That the book of Mormon has been altered.

Answer 1

To be fair, can you tell me where you are getting your information? I've been a member of the LDS church my entire life and have never encountered the Book of Mormon being altered or revised, nor have I ever heard of it being altered or revised. (Let's hope you got your info from legitimate LDS resources, and not anti-Mormon sites that will say and do anything to turn people away from the truth.)

Answer 2

It has not been changed 3913 times. There may be 3,913 changes that have occurred over time. The Book of Mormon does not claim to be inerrant. The Bible doesn't either, but people claim to be true scripture it must be perfect according to their definition of perfect. That Joseph claimed it was the most correct book, does not mean it was the most accurate. Definitions of words have changed over time, even in 150 years.

Answer 3

Thank you for asking this question. This is a great question that deserves an open and honest answer.



I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the "Mormon" Church by others). Mormons believe the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. Nevertheless, you must keep in mind that Joseph Smith was a mortal and imperfect man. He and those he worked with made mistakes just like you and I make mistakes every day.



As the LDS Newsroom says, "Over the last 178 years, seven major editions of the Book of Mormon have been published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The purpose of each new edition is to eliminate the human errors that have occurred. This is all aimed at bringing the text into conformity with the message and meaning of the original manuscripts. The various editorial changes that have been made, such as typographical, grammatical and syntactical changes, have improved readability while leaving the doctrine unaltered."



I have read the Book of Mormon many times. The first time I read this wonderful book, I received a witness, a feeling from the Holy Ghost of warmth and goodness, that the Book of Mormon is just what Joseph Smith said it was. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is jam-packed with Divine Truth. I promise you that if you read the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and real intent, you too will know of the book's truth.



So, I invite you to not get hung up on the fact there have been so many changes to the Book of Mormon. I invite you to read the book and pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, if this book is not true.



Thank you again for your question.

Answer 4

These comments just go to show how much actual LDS members know about their history. Yes, this is a pro LDS source, and YES, that is the actual number of corrections/revisions. Here's a suggestion: before you go about preaching your "truth", why don't you actually go forth and study what it is your church has taught. From 1830-2010, there are a lot of differences as time goes by.



And to those that say the bible was revised as well. Yes it has. Many times. So if the bible has been revised that many times, then why is there a need for a revival of the Christian church? So we can change the fact that the bible has been changed, by preaching that changing scripture is necessary to fulfill prophecy? So I ask again, what's the problem with the Nicene Creed? The more you look into it, the more the accusations make sense.

Answer 5

I don't know the exact answet to your question, but I can say this much: I have absolute faith that whatever changes were made, they were inspired by God.



Also, here's a thought: there are plenty of Christians who believe the Bible to be the absolute truth, and the Bible has gone through regular changes and revisions from when it was written until the King James version and beyond, some of which were for the convenience of a particular religion. I wouldn't be surprised if the same were true for the religious texts of many other religions.

Answer 6

From my perspective, the scriptures come from God and if He wants to change or clarify something lest there be confusion, he can change them. Joseph Smith was a prophet inspired by the Lord and I feel confident that if he did make changes or corrections, they were done through divine revelation, under the direction and authority of God.

Answer 7

I'm not a Mormon nor have I ever read the book of Mormon, but one could also ask:



If the U.S. Constitution is law, then why has it been amended over 20 times?



And the answer is the same:



Because it changes as society changes.

Answer 8

for being a "pro-lds website" its inaccurate....it hasnt been altered that many times, heck not by a long shot. you prove nothing and even if there WERE changes, its only to make it more accurate. changing words means nothing, the content of the scripture is still the same so they change words to make it more accurate? so what? they change "white" to "pure" well doesnt white represent pure? so the meaning IS the same. why not pick the bible apart as well??

Answer 9

If you don't know what parts of the book are correct until grammar, reason and science tells you, what good is the book at all? Why not simply dispense with it and use logic, reason, and rationalism all the time -- even on Sunday?

Answer 10

So.... it's been altered. So what ? Do you not agree that all religions are equal ? That religion is sacred and that we shouldn't make fun of other people's religions ? (personally, I don't think either of these things but I'm not an extremist liberal who says 'all religions are sacred and equal' and then proceeds to rip on Mormonism and the religious right and Christinianity. Not saying you are but...I wonder.).

Answer 11

Oh thats pretty funny. The truth has been altered has it?



Read the Quran it hasnt been altered ever since the 1400 years it was revealed!

Answer 12

The book of Mormon is not true for many of the reasons you state.

For a more exhaustive examination of Mormonism, check out this website.

Answer 13

It hasn't been altered any more than the Bible. All these books are of human origin.

Answer 14

Because it's a load of bullsh*t! It was created, literally, less then two hundred years ago! We know it's bullsh*t but people buy it anyway!

Answer 15

i don"t now try a real religion not a cult that teaches baptism for the dead and getting planets when you die and Jesus has a brother wow try Christianity not fake Christians who have their own bible.

Answer 16

It just keeps getting truer and truer all the time!

Answer 17

I can't answer your answer, sir. Try again later.

Answer 18

it's changed more times than I change my magic underwear!