Of Faith And Reason 80 Evidences Supporting Joseph Smith

In the early 1800s, many people criticized the Prophet Joseph Smith for his prophecies and revelations; today, several evidences prove that Joseph was right. Michael Ash, a well-known LDS apologist, explains why it is useful, and perhaps even necessary, to combine reason with faith in our testimony of Joseph Smith. He reminds us that although secular evidences can't replace a spiritual witness, they can support a testimony and provide an atmosphere where a spiritual witness can flourish. Using scholarly journal articles and ancient Jewish and Christian writings, Ash provides evidences that show how the Book of Mormon is a true account of an ancient people, how LDS scriptures are consistent with the traditions and culture of ancient Israel, and how the doctrines of the Church accurately reflect the teachings of Christ. Ash writes clearly and simply, providing numerous resources to foster further study. With over 80 evidences, this book is an excellent resource for those seeking more information about Joseph Smith and his works.

In the early 1800s, many people criticized the Prophet Joseph Smith for his prophecies and revelations; today, several evidences prove that Joseph was right.

This is volume 20 of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture published by The Interpreter Foundation. It contains articles on a variety of topics including: "Reflecting on the 'Marks of Jesus'," "Dating Joseph Smith’s First Nauvoo Sealings," "A Pilgrim’s Faith," "'Idle and Slothful Strange Stories': Book of Mormon Origins and the Historical Record," "The Scalp of Your Head: Polysemy in Alma 44:14–18," "Now That We Have the Words of Joseph Smith, How Shall We Begin to Understand Them? Illustrations of Selected Challenges within the 21 May 1843 Discourse on 2 Peter 1," "Reading 1 Peter Intertextually With Select Passages From the Old Testament," "Turning to the Lord With the Whole Heart: The Doctrine of Repentance in the Bible and the Book of Mormon," "Many Witnesses to a Marvelous Work," "Nephi’s Change of Heart," "The Ammonites Were Not Pacifists," "'O Ye Fair Ones' — Revisited," and "Beauty Way More Than Skin Deep."

In April 2013 Jeremy T. Runnells published a PDF booklet entitled, "Letter to a CES Director." This booklet, which is now typically referred to as the "CES Letter," catalogs Runnells' concerns and reason why he left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Runnells has worked hard to make his booklet available to people everywhere (and in several languages) and has, unfortunately, been the agent for leading at least a few other believers out of Mormonism. Sadly, most of those who have been bamboozled by the "CES Letter" are Latter-day Saints who were blind-sided by scholarly-sounding interpretations of challenging data. In my opinion, however, the "CES Letter" creates a caricature of Mormonism. The arguments are fundamentally flawed and do not accurately represent either Mormonism or the only logical interpretations of the data. Unfortunately, the reason the "CES Letter" has enjoyed any success is that most Latter-day Saints have never been exposed to some of the more complex matters in early Mormon history. On average, the typical Latter-day Saint has never needed to think outside of the box on Mormon-related philosophical, historical, or scholarly issues. "Bamboozled by the 'CES Letter'" explains why these controversial issues need not kill a testimony. Interpretation matters. Many lay members, as well as educated Mormon scholars, are fully aware of every topic discussed in the "CES Letter" but continue strong in their faith because they recognize that there are logical interpretations which can be integrated with their belief in Mormonism. There are answers to the concerns raised by the "CES Letter," and those answers can be supported by current scholarship as well as harmonized with the acceptance of Mormon truth claims.

This is volume 2 (2012) of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture by the Interpreter Foundation. It contains articles on diverse topics such as the role of apologetics in Mormon studies, a book review of "What Latter-day Saints Teach and Practice: Mormonism Explained," evaluating three arguments against Joseph Smith's First Vision, a book review of "Redeemed by Fire: The Rise of Popular Christianity in Modern China," a comparison of the weeping God in Moses 7 with ancient texts, an analysis of the variants in the vision of the Apostle Paul, a book review of "Saint Peter: The Underestimated Apostle," an analysis of why one sixth of the Book of Mormon was set from the original manuscript, a book review of "Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One's Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt," the obligation of the Saints to defend the King and his kingdom, and an analysis of the apocryphal acts of Jesus.

A 21st Century re-examination of the most-read book to emerge from the Western Hemisphere, the Book of Mormon. As Mormonism grows into a world faith, the veracity of its founding scripture has never been more important. The three decades of Arabian exploration reported in Lehi and Sariah in Arabia identifies specific locations for the 8 year journey described in the text, allowing Nephi's account to emerge with new clarity and enhanced plausibility.

The Lectures on Faith is a set of seven lectures on the doctrine and theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, first published as the doctrine portion of the 1835 edition of the canonical Doctrine and Covenants. The lectures were originally presented by Joseph Smith to a group of elders in a course known as the "School of the Prophets." Lecture 1: Faith gives rise to all human endeavors in both worldly and spiritual matters, and is a source of power, both in man and in God. Lecture 2: The human family's knowledge of God began with God's interaction with Adam before The Fall, which knowledge was retained after The Fall, and which knowledge has been transmitted via human testimony among Adam's descendants. Lecture 3: In addition to a belief in God, a correct knowledge of God's character and attributes as revealed in scripture is necessary for the exercise of faith leading to life and salvation. Lecture 4: From scripture, one can learn that God possesses the following attributes: knowledge, faith (which is His power), justice, judgment, mercy, and truth. Lecture 5: The Godhead, or the collective persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Lecture 6: The knowledge that one's life is in accordance with God's will is necessary for obtaining eternal life Lecture 7: By growing in faith, one draws nearer to God, and in the perfection of faith, one becomes like God. By faith, one obtains knowledge of God, through which knowledge one can receive all things pertaining to life and godliness.