Windy Sydney

I came across this list on the Mormon Curtain this morning, and I wanted to share it. Unfortunately, the person who created this list is unknown, so proper credit can't be given to the author. Whoever took the time to do it did a fantastic job.

This arose as a counter argument to the lists that supposedly list the points that make the church true. The LDS church does not have a shred of evidence to support its claims. On the contrary everything screams that it is all a lie.

1. Changing accounts regarding the first vision.
2. Lack of reports in the local press about Joseph Smith prior to 1830 even though he claims that he was subjected to substantial pressure from the church communities around him. Religious news was readily reported in the local press meaning if there really had been a first vision it would have been reported prior to 1830.
3. Joseph Smith's association with folk magic (i.e. divining rods).
4. Joseph Smith's "money digging" and attempts to avoid legitimate employment.
5. Similarities between Joseph Smith's accounts of uncovering the gold plates and the writings of Solomon Spaulding.
6. Similarities between the Book of Mormon and "View of the Hebrews" and several other books of the period.
7. Portions of the Book of Mormon that quote the New Testament prior to the writing of the KJV of the New Testament.
8. Changes to the KJV by Joseph Smith that have not been supported by documents that have been subsequently uncovered (i.e. The Dead Sea Scrolls and biblical texts that are older than the sources utilized by the KJV translators).
9. The Kinderhook plates and Joseph Smith's "translation" of the fraudulent characters.
10. The changing locations of the supposed Hill Cumorah in spite of recorded statements from Joseph Smith and others to the contrary. (i.e. Zelph the white Lamanite and his participation in the last battle, and the ancient Manti supposedly being located in Randolph County, Missouri).
11. The Book of Abraham and the total lack of comparison to the papyrus.
12. Joseph Smith's "Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar" and proof of this alphabet being bogus.
13. Joseph Smith's prophecy concerning the Civil War was predated by discussion in the popular press stating the same thing.
14. Unfulfilled prophecy concerning building of temple in Independence (the date for that has long since passed).
15. Unfulfilled prophecy regarding Second Coming in reference to Joseph Smiths age (the time frame for that is long passed).
16. Lack of DNA evidence concerning the peoples in the Book of Mormon.
17. Book of Mormon denouncing polygamy and initially the Doctrine in Covenants. D & C changed to accommodate polygamy.
18. Joseph Smith concealing polygamous marriages from Emma. In some instances even performing a second ceremony so that Emma would not know that he had already been married to certain individuals.
19. Joseph Smith putting time pressure on women to marry him.
20. Joseph Smith through the vehicle of "revelation" threatening Emma with destruction if she did not accept polygamy.
21. Joseph Smith using the vehicle of "revelation" in the form of supposed blessings for accepting and cursing for rejecting proposals for polygamous marriages.
22. Joseph Smith marrying women that had husbands still living.
23. Joseph Smith sending individuals on missions that may have opposed plural marriages.
24. Brigham Young using manipulative tactics to obtain polygamous marriages.
25. Over 200 polygamous marriages being performed after 1890. One as late as 1907.
26. The churches denial of post manifesto polygamous marriages until it was revealed to the general public to a degree that they could not deny.
27. Joseph Smith denying that polygamy was being practiced until the 1840's.
28. FARMS and the church "spinning" evidence and the Book of Mormon account to fit the current evidence.
29. Gordon Hinckley and Dallin Oaks concealing evidence in the Hoffman case.
30. Dallin Oaks stating that it is acceptable to not tell the truth when it casts the church or its leaders in a bad light. What about the temple recommend interview question? "Are you honest in all of your dealings?"
31. Church history being presented in a one-sided fashion and many times in a totally dishonest fashion.
32. The church's censure of BYU faculty and other individuals who produce works that are truthful, albeit casting the church in a bad light (i.e. concerning church history, research concerning the Book of Mormon, etc.).
33. Gordon Hinckley lying to the press about the church's doctrinal stands on polygamy and the divine potential of human kind.
34. The temple endowments plagiarism from Masonic ceremonies, which by the way have been shown to have originated from other places and times than most members are led to believe (not the temple in Jerusalem).
35. The macabre penalties that were removed from the temple ceremony.
36. The changes to the Book of Mormon (i.e. "he was a going" hardly sounds like the work of an all knowing God).
37. Unfulfilled prophecy from Brigham Young concerning blacks and when they would receive the priesthood.
38. The teaching that when blacks and Lamanites repent they are supposed to become a white (changed recently to "fair") and delightsome people. I have lived around many church members who are either African-Americans or "Lamanites" and their skin color does not change even after many years in the faith. Their descendents skin does not change either. People living closer to the equator have darker skin than those closer to the poles, indicating an environmental cause for the pigmentation differences.
39. Reliance on circumstantial evidence in current members lives as "proof" the church is true.
40. When faced with the crushing evidence against the Book of Mormon, we are encouraged to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, both of which can and in billions of cases have caused faulty conclusions, i.e. Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam. If the answer is still in the negative then it is our fault and we need to pray again.
41. Treatment of members that is in line with the way that cults treat members. Building your own testimony by bearing your own testimony (this is brainwashing).
42. The teaching that if someone does not believe they need to read more. Again brainwashing. For instance, we don't need to keep rereading Boyle's gas laws to re-convince ourselves that they are true.
43. Manipulating, trying to induce guilt, trying to induce fear of loss of blessings, and trying to induce fear of being cursed within those who no longer believe (unethical and immoral). If these tactics were employed in a secular organization there would be serious legal action leveled, and you would lose in court.
44. The church's paranoia about the truth. The truth will stand for itself. If the truth is being suppressed and twisted then you are dealing with a fraudulent organization