The problem with Limited Geography,

[Solon]

Originally Posted by creekster

Go ahead, ignore me. You need to start somewhere.

Don't ignore creekster. He's the glue that holds this place together.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by Solon

Don't ignore creekster. He's the glue that holds this place together.

Creekster is made of horse? I knew it!

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by creekster

Go ahead, ignore me. You need to start somewhere.

ok dude.

[DrumNFeather]

I've often wondered what the proof would prove to those asking for it. Would it prove anything at all? Or would the focus of their doubt just shift to something else that could not be proven.

As UD suggests...this is not to say that we cannot spend our time looking into it and worrying about it, I just wonder how proof would change the way the non-believers looked at the LDS church, its history, and the Book of Mormon. I suspect it wouldn't change one bit.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

I've often wondered what the proof would prove to those asking for it. Would it prove anything at all? Or would the focus of their doubt just shift to something else that could not be proven.

As UD suggests...this is not to say that we cannot spend our time looking into it and worrying about it, I just wonder how proof would change the way the non-believers looked at the LDS church, its history, and the Book of Mormon. I suspect it wouldn't change one bit.

I'm in agreement with Dan, that we wouldn't value the teachings whether or not tangible evidence existed. Sometimes it would be nice to have just a tidbit so that historical claims, to the extent they are made, wouldn't appear so ludicrous at times.

[Mormon Red Death]

Originally Posted by tooblue

Why would God select Lehi’s family as an elect people and send them into abject isolation? It doesn’t make sense in context to the nature of God we as LDS espouse. Would it not make more sense that he preserved Lehi’s family as an elect people and sent them to influence and affect positive change in ‘gentile’ populations of his children in the western hemisphere.

Consider that, after Joseph Smiths death, God sent his elect people with Brigham Young at the head into isolation in the Salt Lake valley not merely to preserve them but to allow them to prepare to fill the earth with his gospel through missionary work. There’s so much more to the story that we just don’t have, and maybe never will receive, but I am not comfortable with the notion of limited geography.

that's a good point.... kind of mirrors abraham and his clan

[scottie]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

I've often wondered what the proof would prove to those asking for it. Would it prove anything at all? Or would the focus of their doubt just shift to something else that could not be proven.

As UD suggests...this is not to say that we cannot spend our time looking into it and worrying about it, I just wonder how proof would change the way the non-believers looked at the LDS church, its history, and the Book of Mormon. I suspect it wouldn't change one bit.

The same could be said of the current believers -- if presented with proof against the LDS Church, the believers would shift to something else and I suspect their belief wouldn't change one bit. (Cognitive Dissonance)

[MikeWaters]

Yes, let's get it on the table--what proof is necessary regarding the historicity of the book of Mormon, for SU to believe it is history, or what it says it is.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Yes, let's get it on the table--what proof is necessary regarding the historicity of the book of Mormon, for SU to believe it is history, or what it says it is.

I've spent more time than I care to disclose reading biblical "proofs", biblical analysis, and if one reads long and hard enough, one begins to doubt everything and anything.

As long as Mormons are not required to blow themselves up, to subjugate underaged females, and to harm other physically, what we believe will be based on spiritual interpretations, not based upon archaeological findings. And it won't matter, because there is value to our way of life.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Yes, let's get it on the table--what proof is necessary regarding the historicity of the book of Mormon, for SU to believe it is history, or what it says it is.

He'll accept nothing less than the gold plates themselves and an exhaustive translation by numerous experts over several decades