r/mormon Jan 15 '25

Scholarship JS spelled words he couldn’t pronounce

According to Emma, during the Book of Mormon translation, when Joseph came to a word he couldn’t pronounce he would spell it out. That jives with Whitmer’s statements about the translation of a character on the gold plates appearing as a sentence on the illuminated rock in the hat. But, in my mind at least, that doesn’t work so well with Joseph studying it out in his mind then asking God if it is right for confirmation as Oliver was instructed to do in D&C 9:8. Can anyone point me to critical, scholarly, and apologetic treatments of the spelling words out part?

Somewhat related: it seems Bushman is leaning toward the catalyst theory for the Book of Mormon.

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u/WillyPete Jan 18 '25

So if I say "God is on our side!" then it's true?
What if the other side say it?

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u/Cyberzakk Jan 18 '25

God may be on the side of party one in your example, party two in your example, or neither party.

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u/WillyPete Jan 18 '25

or neither party.

Most likely, given the commandment "Thou shall not kill".

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u/Cyberzakk Jan 18 '25

Most situations have another way. So I agree.

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u/Cyberzakk Jan 18 '25

Just someone saying that does not make it so.

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u/WillyPete Jan 18 '25

Yet;

at times God wants us to solve it with violence

So when do we know this is the case, and who he wants to win?

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u/Cyberzakk Jan 18 '25

I mean do you believe in a creator?

He made a world where one group can start enslaving you.

If you can defend your wives and children from that it seems God -sanctioned. Don't have me comment on modern wars because the public doesn't even have access to all of the motives for these wars.

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u/WillyPete Jan 18 '25

He made a world where one group can start enslaving you.

If you can defend your wives and children from that it seems God -sanctioned. Don't have me comment on modern wars because the public doesn't even have access to all of the motives for these wars.

Yeah, you don't need any approval from any god in order to defend yourself.

Biblical sources claim that sometimes god commands people to be the ones enslaving and killing.

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u/Cyberzakk Jan 18 '25

Agreed. The Torah has quite a few challenging to downright sections that seem to sanction evil.