A magic rock, a hat, Joseph Smith and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon
I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear.*
* David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ (Richmond, Missouri: 1887) p. 12.
David Whitmer is listed inside the Book of Mormon as one of the three witnesses to its authenticity.
The Religion that started in a Hat: a Reference Manual for Christians who Witness to Mormons is a clear presentation of Mormon beliefs and a thoroughly biblical apologetic that assists Christians in speaking intelligently with Mormons in defense of Christian orthodoxy. In A Reference Manual for Christians who Witness to Mormons you will learn:
- Why do some Mormons teach that it is theoretically possible for the Mormon god's power to disintegrate and their god cease to be god?
- Learn how Joseph Smith used a magic rock placed in a hat to see illuminated letters which became the Book of Mormon instead of translating the writings from golden plates he claimed came from an angel.
- Learn the scriptural terms omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence are terms that cannot be reconciled with Mormon theology.
- Learn a biblical answer and response to the Mormon practice of Baptism-for-the-dead that misinterprets 1 Corinthians 15:29.
- Learn about an explosive eschatological sexual-logistical math problem for Mormon theology's celestial corporeal-finite gods that cannot be answered.
- Are the indigenous Indians of North and South America related to the Hebrew people as claimed by the Book of Mormon? Learn how recent DNA research completely disproves the historicity of the Book of Mormon.
- Learn why some Mormons teach that Jesus was married, had children, and that Mormon founder Joseph Smith was a direct descendant of Jesus Christ.
- Most importantly in this work, there are positive presentations or statements regarding the Christian view of Scripture, God's sovereignty, the Eternal Priesthood of Christ, and the unfolding of covenantal redemptive history. And much more…
