(UTC)

Let's start from the beginning and move towards what we have. There was a boy who was born in 1805 who founded a religion. That in and of itself isn't that special. Lots of people started their own religions and churches. But he is different. He isn't just any religionist because he claims that he actually speaks with God face-to-face like prophets anciently. He claims that he received Golden Plates and he translated them by the power of God into the Book of Mormon. He claims to hold the keys to salvation. He claims that his is the only church that acts with real authority from God, and that all the other churches are imposters. Aren't you interested in what arguments have been made about whether or not he is a real prophet? If Joseph Smith merely claimed to be able to predict a few things, that would be one thing. But when a young boy claims incredible visions and revelations, comparable only to a handful of previous prophet's experiences, that is something else.  30 June 2005 00:45