In the pursuit of clarity and understanding, we’ll use this format when we discuss issues related to the Book of Mormon.
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Relative acceptance of what Joseph Smith and Oliver |
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All |
Some |
None |
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Cumorah/Ramah |
Cumorah/Ramah |
Cumorah/Ramah |
As always, see this link for explanation of acronyms (SITH and M2C).
https://www.bookofmormoncentralamerica.com/p/acronyms-used-in-this-blog.html
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By now, readers here know that the current iteration of SITH (the stone-in-the-hat theory) was first set out in Mormonism Unvailed in 1834. Decades later, David Whitmer related SITH in various interviews, as well as his booklet An Address to All Believers in Christ.*
Now it turns out that Whitmer also has a connection to M2C (the Mesoamerican/two-Cumorahs theory).
A few decades after David died, the Whitmerite church published an edition of the Book of Mormon that included the M2C maps first published by RLDS scholar L.E. Hills.
You can see a video presentation about this here:
https://youtu.be/N1gn18qgQAQ?t=754
This means the Whitmerite edition of the Book of Mormon was the first edition to publish an M2C map.
This was about 100 years ago, long before John Sorenson, Jack Welch, and Dan Peterson published their own derivative articles and maps.
For a modern version of the Hills M2C map, go to BYU Studies and look at the map published there by Jack Welch.
Needless to say, Jack Welch gave Hills no credit for developing M2C (although he did mention him once in a presentation, so he knew about Hills).
Most of the M2C believers know nothing about L.E. Hills. Even Dan recently claimed he’d never heard of him, as if Dan was oblivious to what his associates Jack and John were publishing at FARMS.
When he published his Source Book, John Sorenson at least recognized Hills as the first to put Cumorah in Mesoamerica.
Now, a handful of influential LDS scholars/academics (the Interpreters) have embraced the L.E. Hills map as the foundation for the theories they spend millions of dollars promoting through Book of Mormon Central.
Here is the L.E. Hills map showing Cumorah in southern Mexico:
Here is the Jack Welch map from BYU Studies, which moved Cumorah a little east and claimed this was all based on extensive research by BYU experts.
And here’s how Book of Mormon Central currently portrays Cumorah to Spanish-language readers and followers:
https://geografia.centralldm.es/mapa-modelo/?playlist=3db12fa&video=c33c342
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* It’s strange to see so many modern LDS scholars embrace David Whitmer’s account of SITH on its face, especially because they have to reject what Joseph and Oliver said to accept Whitmer’s account.
Here is the passage that modern SITH scholars quote as accurate:
I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat. and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man
https://archive.org/details/addresstoallbeli00whit/page/12/mode/2up
The SITH sayers quote this passage, but they don’t tell their followers about the rest of the claims David made in this pamphlet, such as his claim that Joseph was not called to establish the church.
Now I hope you understand me. I am not persecuting Brother Joseph, and never did persecute him. Because he erred is no reason why I should not love him. God called him to translate his sacred word by the power and gift of God; but he was not called to set up and establish the church any more thin any of us Elders were. This I will prove conclusively later on, from evidence which you are bound to accept.
https://archive.org/details/addresstoallbeli00whit/page/26/mode/2up
David wrote lots of things about Joseph Smith that the faithful SITH sayers reject.
Remember this matter brethren ; it is very important. Farther on I will give you references of scripture on this point, showing that this is God’s way of dealing with His people. Now is it wisdom to put your trust in Joseph Smith, and believe all his revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants to be of God ? Every one who does not desire to be of Paul, or of Apollos, or of Joseph, but desires to be of Christ will say that it is not wisdom to put our trust in him and believe his revelations as if from God’s own mouth I I will say here, that I could tell you other false revelations that came through Brother Joseph as mouthpiece, (not through the stone) but this will suffice. Many of Brother Joseph’s revelations were never printed.
https://archive.org/details/addresstoallbeli00whit/page/30/mode/2up
Source: About Central America
One thought on “David Whitmer: SITH and M2C”
According to David Whitmer, “A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear.” Other accounts claimed that whole sentences appeared on the SITH. How can that be because the text of the translation didn’t have sentences? The printer had to add punctuation. The sentences must have been a size .5 font to fit–not legible even with a magnifying glass. I just counted the words in 3 random sentences and I got 28, 21, and 47 words! Maybe the font was .25—just a blur.
1. Joseph and Oliver were the most involved in the translation and they always said Urim and Thummim. They NEVER used SITH phraseology.
2. The Chapter heading to D&C 17 states, “Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, at Fayette, New York, June 1829, prior to their viewing the engraved plates that contained the Book of Mormon record. Joseph and his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, had learned from the translation of the Book of Mormon plates that three special witnesses would be designated (see Ether 5:2–4; 2 Nephi 11:3; 27:12). Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were moved upon by an inspired desire to be the three special witnesses. The Prophet inquired of the Lord, and this revelation was given in answer through the Urim and Thummim.” This is more proof that Joseph had and used the U&T AFTER the lost 116 pages incident. Some incorrectly claim that SITH was the only instrument used after the lost 116 pages.
3. D&C 17:1-6 states,
“1 Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea.
2 And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old.
3 And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes, you shall testify of them, by the power of God;
4 And this you shall do that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., may not be destroyed, that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work.
5 And ye shall testify that you have seen them, even as my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., has seen them; for it is by my power that he has seen them, and it is because he had faith.
6 And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.”
4. Why didn’t the 3 witnesses view the SITH and testify of it? Because SITH is a satanic fabrication in an attempt to destroy Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
5. Why did Oliver Cowdery fail in his translation attempt if all he had to do is read the English interpretation of each character? Because that action would be a dictation, not a translation.
6. If Joseph’s face was buried in the hat, how could he breathe and how could the scribe hear what Joseph was speaking? How would the focal distance impact his ability to see the SITH characters at the bottom of the hat (out of focus)? That discombobulated posture must have been painful to Joseph’s back and neck.
7. Wouldn’t the one character at a time plus verification slow down the translation process? The reality is that SITH is a deceptive lie because Satan is the father of lies. SITH doesn’t pass the commonsense test and it rails against the scriptures and what Joseph and Oliver always taught about the translation.
8. Look closely at the church lesson manuals and magazines before and after 2005 when Rough Stone Rolling was published. Prior to 2005 the Urim and Thummim was always taught. After 2005, SITH was pushed even though it is a false narrative. CES and scholars are hijacking church history.
9. You can see the deception in the Jan 2020 Ensign (no Urim and Thummim or Cumorah or Mission to the Lamanites in the 2000-year timeline) and in Saints Vol 1. You would think that the acquisition of the Hill Cumorah in 1927 or the installation of the Angel Moroni Monument in 1935 or 80 years of Cumorah pageantry would qualify as an entry on the timeline.
10. The diary of Reuben Miller describes what Oliver told the saints at Kanesville, Iowa in 1848 when he rejoined the church through baptism.
“I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages), as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by that book, ‘holy interpreters.’ I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the ‘holy interpreters.’ That book is true. Sidney Rigdon did not write it. Mr. (Solomon) Spaulding did not write it. I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the prophet.”
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