Book of Mormon to be published commercially for first time

[Ric]

Associated Press (USA), July 8, 2004

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to allow Doubleday to publish the Book of Mormon, which the church commonly has provided for free in paperback editions.

It will be the first time since its initial publication in 1830 that a trade publisher has handled distribution of the Mormon scripture outside the Church. However, a "readers' edition" is available from the University of Illinois Press.

The Doubleday decision was made in order to make the book more widely available, church spokesman Dale Bills said Wednesday.

Millions of copies of the Book of Mormon are in print, with the full text available in 72 languages and selections in 32 others.

Doubleday will publish the $24.95 hardcover book in November. Its version will be without the lengthy footnotes and cross-references that may be daunting to readers not familiar with the faith, said Michelle Rapkin, director of Doubleday's religious publishing division.

Details of the agreement have not been finalized, including distribution of profits.

Sad!

[Minnesota]

Why is this sad?

Why do you care?

[Ric]

Why is this sad?

Why do you care?
Why is it sad? Easy, a book of lies will now be available in local book stores.

Why do I care? Easy, I care for all of the poor people who might be misled from Christ due to books like the BOM.

[bar Jonah]

Is it going to be rewritten again, like it was in the 80s, and several other times in the last 100 years? (And many many times before that.)

Just curious. I, myself, have two copies of the Book of Mormon -- one from 1989 and one from the 1952. They aren't the same. Adam Briggs (Truthman), formerly of GODISNOWHERE and now a pastor in eastern Colorado, has another copy that is 10 or 20 years older than mine. It is different from both of mine. Ahhh, divinely inspired translation ... that was so full of errors it had to be rewritten over and over.

[Amazing Rando]

Heck, last night I was wandering through Blockbuster and I ended up stumbling upon "The Book of Mormon: The Movie." It looked weird.

[elysian]

Heck, last night I was wandering through Blockbuster and I ended up stumbling upon "The Book of Mormon: The Movie." It looked weird.

It would probably sell if it has lots of sex (I don't think Mormons are into drugs, in fact I don't think they allow coffee for heaven's sake) and violence and fire, :flaming: though every time I think of Mormons I think of Donny and Marie. Not terribly exciting, sort of like those dreadful CareBear videos I played for my son when he was an infant and I wanted him to go to sleep. CareBears knocked him out every time up until he was about three and then he let me know, "Mommy, CareBears are for babies and I'm a big boy." Perhaps like the CareBear videos, it is a good cure for insomnia.

Besides, for years the LDS has been giving away copies of the BOM to anyone who watches their commercial and calls in to request it. I guess they're just getting with the times. Most people these days think, "why read the book when you can watch the movie?"

[Jin-Roh]

Why is it sad? Easy, a book of lies will now be available in local book stores.

Why do I care? Easy, I care for all of the poor people who might be misled from Christ due to books like the BOM.

Well, if the LDS church has been providing free copies for ages, then I doubt it will have much of an effect.

[Conductor42]

Why is it sad? Easy, a book of lies will now be available in local book stores.

Why do I care? Easy, I care for all of the poor people who might be misled from Christ due to books like the BOM.

As was pointed out, the mormons have been giving away their holy books for years upon years, for almost as long as they have existed, at no cost.

I would have thought that you'd be more worried about organizations such as Jews for Judaism or the Messiah Truth Project.

[bar Jonah]

As was pointed out, the mormons have been giving away their holy books for years upon years, for almost as long as they have existed, at no cost.

I would have thought that you'd be more worried about organizations such as Jews for Judaism or the Messiah Truth Project.
I would be... which is why I have worked with Messianics in such organizations as Menorah Ministries. :rithumb:

[Conductor42]

Alrighty. I've never heard of Menorah Ministries. Are they a group local to your town?

[bar Jonah]

I think they are based out of Florida, but are in many areas, including here in Denver. One of their top pastors used to be a rabbi, if I recall. They are vehemently against any legalism in regards to salvation, being strictly believers in Paul's gospel of faith apart from works of the Law. Theologically, I have the impression they are roughly Acts 2 Dispensationalists who recognize that Israel rejected her Bridegroom, the mashiach, and is now cut off for now, set aside and blinded for a time as a corporate body. Individually, they have lost their special status as God's chosen people and can approach God only apart from that covenant, as if they are Gentiles, more or less.

They are Jewish Christians who continue in their Jewish culture, but follow their kosher laws and feasts, etc., as tradition, and no longer as commanded laws. Some chapters focus particularly on Russian and Ukrainian Jewish communities -- there is a significant Russian and Ukrainian Jewish community here in Denver.

[Conductor42]

So in comparison, they're a Christian version of Reform Judaism? (that's the best one I could think of)

[Conductor42]

er, best comparison i could think of

[bar Jonah]

I don't know enough about Reformed Judaism to be sure. They are morally very conservative, and I'm not sure how morally conservative Reformed Jews are. I don't know enough to say.

[Ric]

Shhhhhhhhhhh....
You might let the secret out.... Oh, the Book of Mormon? No secret there on the continual re-write!


Is it going to be rewritten again, like it was in the 80s, and several other times in the last 100 years? (And many many times before that.)

Just curious. I, myself, have two copies of the Book of Mormon -- one from 1989 and one from the 1952. They aren't the same. Adam Briggs (Truthman), formerly of GODISNOWHERE and now a pastor in eastern Colorado, has another copy that is 10 or 20 years older than mine. It is different from both of mine. Ahhh, divinely inspired translation ... that was so full of errors it had to be rewritten over and over.

[Ric]

Heck, last night I was wandering through Blockbuster and I ended up stumbling upon "The Book of Mormon: The Movie." It looked weird.

:lmbo: :lmbo: "The Book of Mormon: The Movie." :lmbo: :lmbo:

[Ric]

Well, if the LDS church has been providing free copies for ages, then I doubt it will have much of an effect.
Just another place where easy access to a book of lies is available, that is what is sad!

[Ric]

As was pointed out, the mormons have been giving away their holy books for years upon years, for almost as long as they have existed, at no cost.

I would have thought that you'd be more worried about organizations such as Jews for Judaism or the Messiah Truth Project.

I know they have been, for I have two copies that I was able to receive from the 800 number the LDS "church" has had for years. I received the books for apologetics reasons - and let me tell you was I able to find many contradictions and historical falsehoods in the book of mormon with no problem. What I really don't understand is that how easily this book is proven as a fictional writing, is how so many people believe that it is truthful!

[Conductor42]

2 points. (boy this is strange to be defending mormons)

1) They're a church. Putting it in quotes doesn't make it go away.

2) So you found contradictions. Mazel Tov! I'm a Counter-Missionary, and I see the same problems with the New Testament.

[bar Jonah]

Ah, but there's a significant different with the New Testament -- half of it is written with one message to one audience, and the other half with another message to a second audience. I'll wager the "problems" you're referring to involve Paul contradicting the gospels and the letters of Peter, James, John, Jude and Revelation.

:ripurple:

Once you "sort the mail" by looking at who each book or letter is addressed to... there are no conflicts.

But... now we're getting :offtopic:

:riwink:

[Conductor42]

Actually, I'm reffering to the Tanakh

[bar Jonah]

Actually, I'm reffering to the Tanakh
You said:


I see the same problems with the New Testament.
Can you clarify? Do you not see contraditions between Jesus saying that one must follow the Law to have eternal life..... and Paul saying the Law is not for a believer, we are not under the Law, we no longer need the Law, that a man is justified in the eyes of God by faith apart from works of the Law? While James (Yaakov) turns around again and says a man is justified not by faith alone but by works also? :smile:

I'm sincerely curious. (Altho perhaps this belongs in another thread. I'm simply curious about your personal perspective, no one else's at the moment. Perhaps I will create a thread about this! If you say here that you might take a look at it and respond to it. Let me know... No debate, just a few questions about your view of the NT.)

[Ric]

2 points. (boy this is strange to be defending mormons)

1) They're a church. Putting it in quotes doesn't make it go away.

I'm not trying to make it go away by placing the word church between quotation marks, I'm just imposing the word because they are truly not a true church.


2) So you found contradictions. Mazel Tov! I'm a Counter-Missionary, and I see the same problems with the New Testament.

Like?

[GhostontheNet]

You said:


Can you clarify? Do you not see contraditions between Jesus saying that one must follow the Law to have eternal life..... and Paul saying the Law is not for a believer, we are not under the Law, we no longer need the Law, that a man is justified in the eyes of God by faith apart from works of the Law? While James (Yaakov) turns around again and says a man is justified not by faith alone but by works also? :smile:

I'm sincerely curious. (Altho perhaps this belongs in another thread. I'm simply curious about your personal perspective, no one else's at the moment. Perhaps I will create a thread about this! If you say here that you might take a look at it and respond to it. Let me know... No debate, just a few questions about your view of the NT.)
While it is possible he refers to contradictions between the New Testament and itself, more likely he refers to his belief that what the New Testament says about its Annointed One Yeshua and what the Tanach says about the Annointed One contradict each other.

[Conductor42]

Say, for example, the Virgin Birth issue.

[{Tim}]

I'm not trying to make it go away by placing the word church between quotation marks, I'm just imposing the word because they are truly not a true church.
How would you define 'Church'? As I understand it, the word itself means "a group or assembly of people" or something similar (though please correct me if I am wrong!). Given that definition, LDS would certainly qualify. However, if you are talking about "are Mormons [true] Christians" (or "is the LDS church a Christian church"), well, that's a different question.


In response to the OP, I don't see that it makes much difference, myself. As others have pointed out, the BoM can be obtained for free by anyone who's interested - so why would making it available for purchase make it more attractive to people who aren't already interested in it?

[Xmansmommy]

Excellent point Tim about it being available for free. I don't see how it is going to be a wise financial move for the LDS church. The only people I can imagine who would purchase a BOM are either unaware they are available for free or they don't want the hassle of being on the LDS tracking list. :wink:

[{Tim}]

Thanks. :smile: As for tracking lists, our family thinks we are on a "do not visit" list for Mormons (and JWs too)... we did have a pair of missionaries once, who mum & I talked to for several months. I don't think we got very far through their prepared "lessons" - we discussed theology and why we disagreed with their views on it; eventually they stopped coming. Go figure...

[Conductor42]

If they know you do not want to convert, Generally the Mormon Missionaries try to be more respectable then some of the other missionaries and not keep coming.

[just Johnna]

Excellent point Tim about it being available for free. I don't see how it is going to be a wise financial move for the LDS church. The only people I can imagine who would purchase a BOM are either unaware they are available for free or they don't want the hassle of being on the LDS tracking list. :wink:

It's being published by Doubleday, so perhaps it will be a wise financial move for Doubleday. I hear it's got nice wide margins, sturdy paper, and no footnotes. There are enough Mormons to provide a market--they're the target demographic.

[Trout]

It's being published by Doubleday, so perhaps it will be a wise financial move for Doubleday. I hear it's got nice wide margins, sturdy paper, and no footnotes. There are enough Mormons to provide a market--they're the target demographic.

You know. . .I find it far easier to study the Bible using the computer for most things. When I'm looking into the LDS standard works I find the online copies far easier to navigate than my paper copies.

[Ric]

You know. . .I find it far easier to study the Bible using the computer for most things. When I'm looking into the LDS standard works I find the online copies far easier to navigate than my paper copies.

I know what you mean.

I also have a copy of the BOM in one of my Bible software programs I downloaded from the net for free. It's great to find all of the faults in the BOM with one easy key-stroke.

[master_mormon]

Why is it sad? Easy, a book of lies will now be available in local book stores.

Why do I care? Easy, I care for all of the poor people who might be misled from Christ due to books like the BOM.
A book of lies? Can you list 5 or 10 specific lies? Have you read the BOM. Did you know the Book of Mormon references Christ more often than the New Testament does?

Be careful saying that the Book of Mormon is a book of lies. Because if you do than I can go into the rich number of passages in the Book of Mormon and infer from your view that the statements contained in them are lies. For example --2 Nephi 25:20 "…Yea, behold, I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven, save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved…"

Surely you don't believe that statement is a lie do you?

[Krusader]

A book of lies? Can you list 5 or 10 specific lies? Have you read the BOM. Did you know the Book of Mormon references Christ more often than the New Testament does?

Be careful saying that the Book of Mormon is a book of lies. Because if you do than I can go into the rich number of passages in the Book of Mormon and infer from your view that the statements contained in them are lies. For example --2 Nephi 25:20 "…Yea, behold, I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven, save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved…"

Surely you don't believe that statement is a lie do you?
Are you kidding, the whole Book of Mormon is a lie - it presents itself as a true story, but is in reality a 19th century work of religious fiction.

Lies: Jews migrated to the American continent
Jesus visited the American continent
Three "Nephites" will not die until Christ returns
The Lamanites are Indians
Moroni buried plates in a hill (Cumorah)

That's just off the top of my head in 10 seconds.

[just Johnna]

Jews migrated to the American continent
Jesus visited the American continent
Three "Nephites" will not die until Christ returns
The Lamanites are Indians
Moroni buried plates in a hill (Cumorah)


Hmm, those are true statements.
I'll give you that the phrasing of "Lamanites are Indians" is extremely imprecise.