THE CROSS UNVEILED

Last Update: 1/2014

Is the Book of Mormon Inspired?

This section covers the books of 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi

The Book of Mormon claims to be the inspired word of God and Joseph Smith further claimed it was "the most correct book of any on earth" (Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon Introduction). With these types of claims one would expect there to be no errors, contradictions, anachronisms, or issues with archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, metallurgy, population growth, etc.

Please bear with me as I go through the Book of Mormon pointing out irreconcilable issues in these areas.  

- The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible was completed in 1611 in Europe and was written in Elizabethan form English, which is an archaic language that was not around anymore in the early 1800's, and especially not in America.  How is it possible the Book of Mormon, which was supposedly written over 1,000 years earlier, was written in the same Elizabethan form English neither Joseph Smith nor the Nephites spoke or had access to?  

- During the seven year translation process of the KJV, words were added that did not appear in the original text to make the text flow and for readability in English.  These words were written in italics to denote they were not in the original manuscripts. How could it be possible these same italicized words, which were added in 1611, appear in the Book of Mormon as if Joseph Smith translated directly from golden plates written over 1,000 years prior to the KJV Bible?  For example, please compare Isaiah 53 to Mosiah 14.  

Furthermore, roughly 25% of the Book of Mormon contains almost a verbatim copy of the 1769 KJV of the Bible along with the exact same errors.  The 1769 version of the KJ bible just happens to be the exact version Joseph Smith owned.  Is this just a mere coincidence? Is this really inspired from God and "the most correct book of any on earth" if the errors were not corrected by Joseph Smith?

- Why would the Nephites write down their historical record in the language of their enemies (Egyptians)?  

- Impossible population growth: You have less than 100 people coming over from Israel and their population explodes while in the Book of Mormon lands (wherever that is).  This all happens at the same time the many battles throughout the Book of Mormon occur, which kill tens of thousands within certain battles and around 230,000 Nephites alone in the final battle at the Hill Cumorah.  This growth rate in total would be more than double the Roman Empire by comparison1.  This would lead to a population of over 8,000 Romans vs. a population of over 1,800,000 for the Nephites/Lamanites.  These growth rates are impossible and unheard of without modern medicines.   

- The phrase "it came to pass" occurs in the Book of Mormon about 1,070 times and in the Bible about 396 times.  The Book of Mormon has 6,553 verses and the Bible has 31,102 verses. This means this phase occurs in about 16% of the Book of Mormon verses and only about 1% in the Bible.  These numbers are only based on the recent Book of Mormon, which the original 1830 edition had the phrase written far more times and many have since been edited out.  Does it make any sense God would really want to have this phrase over and over again in the Book of Mormon?  This also occurs with other words that are extremely overused in the Book of Mormon.  For example, the word "exceedingly" occurs in 247 verses in the Book of Mormon3, many times it occurs at least two times in the same verse.  Don't you think Moroni got tired of etching these phrases in reformed Egyptian over and over?

     1 http://www.mormoninfographics.com/2012/10/population-growth-in-book-of-mormon.html
     2 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&query=%22and+it+came+to+pass%22&testament=bofm&type=verse
     3 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&query=%22exceedingly%22&testament=bofm&type=verse

These are a few of the reasons why one of the greatest authors in the past several centuries, Mark Twain, referred to the Book of Mormon after reading it as "chloroform in print."  His synopsis of the Book of Mormon can be found here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3177/3177-h/3177-h.htm#linkch16

1 Nephi

- 1 Nephi 2:5 "And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sarah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam."

No devout Jew would ever have named their son "Sam."  This is not a Jewish name.  

- 1 Nephi 2:6, 8 "And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.... And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof." 

It is over 150 miles from Jerusalem to the northern tip of the Red Sea.  It would be impossible for men, women, and children to walk this distance in the span of three days.

No river has ever emptied into the Red Sea since the Pleistocene era.

- 1 Nephi 4:9 "And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel."

Steel was not in the Americas in 600 BC and the process to make steel is complex.

- 1 Nephi 4:26 "And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me."

The church was not formed nor was the word used until the day of Pentecost on about 30 AD.

- 1 Nephi 5:9 "And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel."

Numbers 3:5-9 states only Levites and their descendants can make burnt offerings.  1 Nephi 5:14 says they are descendants of Joseph.  This would require death for breaking the commandments (Law of Moses).

- 1 Nephi 10:9 "And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water."

This verse is incorrectly stating Bethabara instead of Bethany as the city John was baptizing in, as does the King James Version.  This is a known King James Version error and is corrected in all other Bible versions.  Joseph Smith also did not catch this error in his Inspired Version of the Bible leaving the city as Bethabara.

- 1 Nephi 12:23 "And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations."

This is one of about 20 total verses in Mormon standard works that show just how uninspired their scripture is through racism.  Mormon doctrine teaches those who were valiant in the pre-existent war in heaven (fought for Christ) will have white skin while on earth and those who were not valiant (fought for Satan) will be cursed with dark skin.  They refer to this as "The Curse of Cain."  Mormonism teaches the curse God put upon Cain was dark skin.  Here are some quotes of Mormon leaders regarding this curse of dark skin:

"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 10:110, 1863).

"Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:290, 1859).

"And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God" (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 22:304, 1881).

"There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less...There were no neutrals in the war in heaven. All took sides either with Christ or with Satan. Every man had his agency there, and men receive rewards here based upon their actions there, just as they will receive rewards hereafter for deeds done in the body.The Negro, evidently, is receiving the reward he merits" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1954, 1:65-66).

In an October 1960 LDS Church General Conference message, Spencer W. Kimball shared how Indian's skin color was becoming whiter when they converted to the LDS church. He stated, "The day of the Lamanites is nigh. For years they have been growing delightsome, and now they are becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised. ...The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their bothers and sisters...At one meeting a father and a mother and their sixteen-year-old daughter were present, the little member girl--sixteen--sitting between the dark father and mother, and it was evident she was several shades lighter than her parents...There was a doctor in Utah city who for two years had had an Indian boy in his home had stated that he was some shades lighter than the younger brother just coming into the program from the reservation...One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated" (Spencer W. Kimball, "The Day of the Lamanites," The Improvement Era, December 1960, p. 923).

Does the Bible speak of Cain being cursed with dark skin?  The biblical account where the LDS are referring to this curse is found in Genesis 4:11-12, just after Cain kills his brother Abel.  The problem is the curse was Cain's crops would be unfruitful and he would be a vagabond (wanderer) as verse 12 plainly states.  A mark was put on Cain (verse 15) so others would know not to kill Cain.  There is no Biblical support for this mark being black skin.  As you can plainly see, the LDS leadership has twisted the scriptures and brought forth a policy of racism for over 100 years before it was removed in 1978, well after the Civil Rights movement.  If the Prophet of the LDS church does communicate with the Lord, why was racism in place for over 100 years in the church?  Why was racism still taught years after the Civil Rights movement?  The Bible states everyone is the same; there are no advantages or disadvantages with skin color.

Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

- 1 Nephi 13:7 "And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots."

There was no silk or linen (wool) at this time in the Americas.

- 1 Nephi 13:15 "And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain."

Please see comments on racism in 1 Nephi 12:23 above.

- 1 Nephi 15:35 "And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken."

The Devil is not the preparator of hell, God created it for a place to put the Devil. 

- 1 Nephi 17:2, 12 "And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings....For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not;

Nobody can live on raw uncooked meat.  Even if they could it was against the law (commandments) as stated in Exodus 12:9 you are not to consume raw meat.  2 Nephi 5:10 says they were keeping the whole law of Moses.  They can't be keeping the whole law if they are breaking this commandment.  Why would the Lord command two things in opposition to each other?  God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

- 1 Nephi 17:5 "And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters."

Since when has there ever been fruit and bees (to produce the honey) in a desert? This is also described in 1 Nephi 18:6.

- 1 Nephi 18:1 "And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship."

Where does Nephi get all this timber to build a ship in a desert?

- 1 Nephi 18:21 "And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.

The compass was invented in 1044 AD by the Chinese so how does Nephi get a hold of one in 589 BC?

- 1 Nephi 18:25 "And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper."

Cows, oxen, asses (donkey's), and horses were brought to the Americas for the first time almost 1,000 years later by the Europeans.

- 1 Nephi 22:15 "For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned."

This verse is eerily similar to 1 Malachi 4:1, which was written about 160 years later.  "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."

2 Nephi

- 2 Nephi 1:8 "And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance."

Archaeology proves there were already millions of inhabitants in the Americas with large cities and infrastructure at this time.  How could the Nephites not have noticed?

- 2 Nephi 2:4 "And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free."

Part of this verse looks to be copied from Hebrews 13:8, which was written centuries later.  "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

- 2 Nephi 2:14 "And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon."

Isn't Mormon doctrine from the book of Abraham (chapters 4 & 5) the Gods (not God) organized (not created) the earth? 

- 2 Nephi 2:22-25 "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

Please read the short section titled "Sin" for a detailed account of why this version of the fall is not biblical.

- 2 Nephi 3:6-7 "For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers."

This is a testimony that says Joseph Smith is a descendant of Joseph (a Jew from the Old Testament).  This could not possibly be the case because Joseph Smith's ancestry dates back 300 years to England.  The Book of Mormon says the Lamanites, who became the American Indians, are of Jewish ancestry.  This would mean Joseph Smith would have to be an American Indian for this to possible!

- 2 Nephi 5:10 "And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things according to the law of Moses."

It is impossible for any human other than Christ to have kept the whole law of Moses.  Why would they need a Savior if they were able to keep the whole law?

- 2 Nephi 5: 15-16 "And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine."

There are a couple issues with these two verses, first in verse 15 Nephi says all of these things were in abundance to build the temple.  Then in verse 16, he says these same precious things were not to be found on the land for building the temple?  Really?

More importantly, Nephi was able to construct a temple just like Solomon's temple.  Quite impressive since Solomon's temple took 180,000 men seven years to build (1 Kings 5:6).  If under 100 people came over from Jerusalem 12-30 years earlier how in the world could at most half these people (excluding the elderly, women and children) build a temple like Solomon's temple?

- 2 Nephi 5: 21-23 "And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities. And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done."

This is one of about 20 total verses in Mormon standard works that show just how uninspired their scripture is through racism.  Mormon doctrine teaches those who were valiant in the pre-existent war in heaven (fought for Christ) will have white skin while on earth and those who were not valiant (fought for Satan) will be cursed with dark skin.  They refer to this as "The Curse of Cain."  Mormonism teaches the curse God put upon Cain was dark skin.  Here are some quotes of Mormon leaders regarding this curse of dark skin:

"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 10:110, 1863).

"Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:290, 1859).

"And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God" (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 22:304, 1881).

"There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less...There were no neutrals in the war in heaven. All took sides either with Christ or with Satan. Every man had his agency there, and men receive rewards here based upon their actions there, just as they will receive rewards hereafter for deeds done in the body.The Negro, evidently, is receiving the reward he merits" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1954, 1:65-66).

In an October 1960 LDS Church General Conference message, Spencer W. Kimball shared how Indian's skin color was becoming whiter when they converted to the LDS church. He stated, "The day of the Lamanites is nigh. For years they have been growing delightsome, and now they are becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised. ...The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their bothers and sisters...At one meeting a father and a mother and their sixteen-year-old daughter were present, the little member girl--sixteen--sitting between the dark father and mother, and it was evident she was several shades lighter than her parents...There was a doctor in Utah city who for two years had had an Indian boy in his home had stated that he was some shades lighter than the younger brother just coming into the program from the reservation...One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated" (Spencer W. Kimball, "The Day of the Lamanites," The Improvement Era, December 1960, p. 923).

Does the Bible speak of Cain being cursed with dark skin?  The biblical account where the LDS are referring to this curse is found in Genesis 4:11-12, just after Cain kills his brother Abel.  The problem is the curse was Cain's crops would be unfruitful and he would be a vagabond (wanderer) as verse 12 plainly states.  A mark was put on Cain (verse 15) so others would know not to kill Cain.  There is no Biblical support for this mark being black skin.  As you can plainly see, the LDS leadership has twisted the scriptures and brought forth a policy of racism for over 100 years before it was removed in 1978, well after the Civil Rights movement.  If the Prophet of the LDS church does communicate with the Lord, why was racism in place for over 100 years in the church?  Why was racism still taught years after the Civil Rights movement?  The Bible states everyone is the same; there are no advantages or disadvantages with skin color.

Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

- 2 Nephi 5:26 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people."

According to Numbers 3:9-10, the only people who could be priests were the literal descendants of Levi.  Anyone else would be breaking the Law of Moses and should be put to death.

- 2 Nephi 9:18 "...they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it..."

This verse is eerily similar to Hebrews 12:2 "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame..."

- 2 Nephi 9:26 "For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law..."

How does the word atonement, which was invented by William Tyndale in the 16th century, end up in the Book of Mormon if the Book of Mormon was translated from golden plates written over 1,000 years earlier?  This is one of many anachronisms in the Book of Mormon that clearly suggest it is of 19th century origin. 

- 2 Nephi 10:3 "...and they shall crucify him -- for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would  crucify their God."

There was no such word as "crucify" anytime around 545-559 BC.  This word was not around for centuries later.

- 2 Nephi 10:7 "But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, thenhave I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance."

Jews have been living and continue to live in Israel without believing in Christ.

- 2 Nephi 24:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!..."

Lucifer is a Latin word meaning "light bearer."  Isaiah did not write in Latin as this is a know translation error from the King James Version.  The correct translation should have said "star of the morning" or "morning star."  Why would the Book of Mormon contain the same error if it is truly inspired?  Joseph Smith's Inspired Version does not correct this error either.  Plagiarism perhaps?

- 2 Nephi 25:19 "For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

The first time the name Jesus Christ is mention in the Bible is Luke 1:31, 35, which is almost 500 years later.  Also, "Christ" is not a name, it is a Greek word that means "anointed."  Joseph Smith is asking us to believe the correct English translation of a reformed Egyptian word is the Anglicized Greek word "Christ"?

- 2 Nephi 25:23 "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

So grace saves us only after all we can do, huh?  Please take the time to read the section "Salvation in Mormonism" to see how non-biblical this statement is.

- 2 Nephi 25:24 "And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.

Please see my comments from 2 Nephi 5:10.

- 2 Nephi 26:12 "And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;"

The Bible says that the gospel including the Gentiles, was not completely revealed until after the death of Jesus.  Ephesians 3:3-7; Colossians 1:26; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Romans 16:25-26.

- 2 Nephi 26:16 "For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust."

This verse is suggesting the Nephites are the people speaking low out of the dust (Isaiah 29:4) with a familiar spirit.  The LDS topical guide defines a familiar spirit as an evil spirit.  Also, all the Bible verses that mention a familiar spirit are talking about evil abominations to the Lord.  These can be found in the following verses: Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Leviticus 20:27, 1 Chronicles 10:13, 2 Chronicles 33:6, and Isaiah 19:3.  Please read the section titled "Verses Mormons Misuse" for more details.  

Apostle LeGrand Richards said the Book of Mormon has a familiar spirit in his book A Marvelous Work and Wonder on pp.67-68.

- 2 Nephi 26:26 "Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay."

Synagogues were not around for centuries later. 

- 2 Nephi 26:33 "For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

So why were blacks not allowed to partake of the goodness of the priesthood until 1978?  In fact, Brigham Young said this regarding blacks, "and they never can hold the Priesthood or share in it until all the other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 1859, Vol. 7:282).

- 2 Nephi 27:6-12 " And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof...Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein."

The Book of Mormon has a prophecy in it about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. That is circular reasoning and logic. Without something much older to show as proof like a manuscript or papyrus that the Book of Mormon would come forth other than the 1830 published Book of Mormon is absurd to call this prophecy. 

- 2 Nephi 28:13 "They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up."

Is there any church you can think of that spends more money on multi-million dollar temples than the Mormon church?  

- 2 Nephi 28:15 "O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!"

This contradicts Mormon doctrine of three levels of heaven and an outer darkness.

- 2 Nephi 28:22 "And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance."

This says the Devil flatters people by telling them there is no hell so he can grab them in his chains.  Mormon doctrine teaches there is no hell, only three levels of heaven and outer darkness.  Are Mormons flattering people to join and believe in their church by teaching this contradiction so the Devil can have these people in chains?

- 2 Nephi 28:31 "Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men,save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost."

This verse looks to be copied from Jeremiah 17:5, which says, "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."

Jeremiah says cursed is the man who trusts in his own works and who's heart departs from the Lord.  Nephi says cursed is the man who trusts in his own works unless the Holy Ghost told him to trust in his own works.  The entire new testament contradicts this statement.  We are to trust in the Lord alone and not in our works.  Read the books of Romans and Galatians for several examples of just how heretical this statement is.

Also, since the context of the verse has changed from trusting in the Lord to trusting in your own works, why did Joseph Smith not feel it was important enough to make this change in the Inspired Version?

- 2 Nephi 29:3 "And because my words shall hiss forth -- many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible."

The word "Bible" is the English transliteration of the Greek word "biblos" and was not used until for over 1,500 years later.  The bible was not created until this time.

- 2 Nephi 30:2 "For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord..."

The Bible says that the gospel including the Gentiles, was not completely revealed until after the death of Jesus. Ephesians 3:3-7; Colossians 1:26; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Romans 16:25-26.

- 2 Nephi 30:6 "And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people."

This verse was changed in 1981 from "white and delightsome" to "pure and delightsome."  Interesting how this was changed just after the Mormon church started allowing blacks to hold the Priesthood.  Please read my comments from 2 Nephi 5:21-23 on the racism that permeates throughout the Book of Mormon.  Additionally, 2 Nephi 5:21-23 is about the same subject so why did they not change the word "white" to "pure" in those verses?

- 2 Nephi 31:5-8 "And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water! And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove."

Nephi is prophesying about the future (obviously) given the time is around 545 to 559 BC.  The issue is why if he is prophesying about something in the future is he referring to the events as if they already transpired (using past tense)?

- 2 Nephi 31:13 "...witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism -- yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water..."

It is impossible for this word to be translated from the gold plates because "baptism" is a transliteration of the Greek word "baptisma," and was peculiar to the KJV.  It is clearly a copy of an English term.

- 2 Nephi 31:14-17 "But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me. And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved...."
 
These doctrines that came with the blood covenant through the death of Christ were not known until the first century.  These people could not possibly be living the Law of Moses and the gospel of Jesus Christ at the same time.  That is crazy!

- 2 Nephi 32:9 "But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint..."

This verse is eerily similar to Luke 18:1, which was written about six centuries later.  "And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"