Sacred Writings Publishing Question
Sacred Writings Publishing Question
Just a hypothetical question but it seemed interesting. Say you were visited by an angel who gave you the sacred writings of an ancient people and helped you translate them. Would it seem ungrateful to turn around and sell the copyright?
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha
-- Moksha
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
So many of Joseph's initial problems with money would have disappeared if Moroni would have just added in a few extra blank pages of "gold plates". Then Martin Harris would not have lost his farm and they could have financed this nascent church far more easily. After all, God "knew" that Joseph was going to lose the first 116 pages so He provided Nephi's writings to inevitably replace Lehi's writings. Keeping extra gold plates around that will never get published doesn't seem very difficult. Why not add in some spare gold so that Joseph doesn't have to embarrass himself further by trying to sell the copyright?
Martin Harris' wife stole the manuscript because she did not like how Martin was financing writing the Book of Mormon. If Joseph had some financial support from God, we would still have the Book of Lehi since Martin Harris' wife would not be involved. We have the omnipotent creator of the universe wanting the entire world to have these critical saving ordinances and dispel centuries of false religious teachings. But He tells this dirt poor farm boy to do all this and provides no budget for this project. I recognize that the Sunday School answer to all of this involves teaching moments for young Joseph. But this is a sterile view of the situation which was actually a colossal screw up, a huge delay in the project, and the irreplaceable loss of the writings from one of the most important prophets in the Book of Mormon.
The more I think about this fiasco, the sillier it gets. I have clearly spent too much time thinking about it. But we are entirely restricted from thinking about this nutty story from the strict framing it gets in Sunday School. No interesting solutions ever get seriously entertained in favor of Joseph needing to repent from this huge screw up.
Martin Harris' wife stole the manuscript because she did not like how Martin was financing writing the Book of Mormon. If Joseph had some financial support from God, we would still have the Book of Lehi since Martin Harris' wife would not be involved. We have the omnipotent creator of the universe wanting the entire world to have these critical saving ordinances and dispel centuries of false religious teachings. But He tells this dirt poor farm boy to do all this and provides no budget for this project. I recognize that the Sunday School answer to all of this involves teaching moments for young Joseph. But this is a sterile view of the situation which was actually a colossal screw up, a huge delay in the project, and the irreplaceable loss of the writings from one of the most important prophets in the Book of Mormon.
The more I think about this fiasco, the sillier it gets. I have clearly spent too much time thinking about it. But we are entirely restricted from thinking about this nutty story from the strict framing it gets in Sunday School. No interesting solutions ever get seriously entertained in favor of Joseph needing to repent from this huge screw up.
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
He couldn't sell it then. That's why the church continues to hand them out for free
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
WOW....again I have learned something I never before considered.
That's right,...there was an attempt to sell the copyright. Had that happened, doesn't that take the option of publishing it out of the hands of JS et all?
And, if that is the case, how could this "cornerstone of our religion" really be a corner stone? The very scripture was being sold off?
It sounds like revisionist history again--I bet the narrative was changed AFTER THE FACT to justify the choice and cover up the potential consequences.
Anyone know about that?
That's right,...there was an attempt to sell the copyright. Had that happened, doesn't that take the option of publishing it out of the hands of JS et all?
And, if that is the case, how could this "cornerstone of our religion" really be a corner stone? The very scripture was being sold off?
It sounds like revisionist history again--I bet the narrative was changed AFTER THE FACT to justify the choice and cover up the potential consequences.
Anyone know about that?
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
And it listed Joseph smith as the "author" in the original bom. The newer versions say that he translated it, but it fails to mention how.
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
Why didn't god send an angel with a sword to stop JS from trying to sell the copy write?
Interesting that the most correct book on earth, gods pure/direct word, revelation for our day, the very keystone of Mormonism, was for sale.
What's funny is that no one was buying.
Wait, I wonder if Satan knew about this. Couldn't he have cobbled a few bucks together and had one of his followers buy it? Seems like that would have saved him a lot of trouble. Think of the changes he could have made to the text if he owned it.
Interesting that the most correct book on earth, gods pure/direct word, revelation for our day, the very keystone of Mormonism, was for sale.
What's funny is that no one was buying.
Wait, I wonder if Satan knew about this. Couldn't he have cobbled a few bucks together and had one of his followers buy it? Seems like that would have saved him a lot of trouble. Think of the changes he could have made to the text if he owned it.
The church has engineered your eternal family into a commodity that can be purchased with an annual fee. The fact that full tithing payment is a requirement for saving ordinances is the biggest red flag imaginable. Hagoth
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
God didn't even need to provide funding. Why didn't he just inspire a printer to publish it on speculation?
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
Or provide a competent proofreader to whip the copy into shape for the Canadian publisher to buy. With the success of similar books like The Late War and View of the Hebrews, there was a market for such writings.
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha
-- Moksha
Re: Sacred Writings Publishing Question
I always wondered why he went to Canada to try to gain a copyright? Of course I think all things Canadian are wonderful but never found the answer.
Perhaps at the time the canadian dollar (I don't think they had loonies then) was equal to it's US counterpart.
I think it was the Dutch who did the loan for John Adams when the newly formed US was born. Should have approached them.
Perhaps at the time the canadian dollar (I don't think they had loonies then) was equal to it's US counterpart.
I think it was the Dutch who did the loan for John Adams when the newly formed US was born. Should have approached them.
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.
Rumi
Rumi