This below is a post today I found interesting, the kids never knew what hit 'em:
Those poor kids...
Date: 4/11/2013 5:56 PM
A couple of Mormon missionaries just came to my house. I was mormon until about 16 years old. I'm still on the membership rolls, so the missionaries come by once in a while to check in on me. Always having no idea what they are getting into.
They keep getting younger and younger. I think these guys were on bicycles because they didn't look old enough to drive.
Anyway, they asked me how I became Mormon. I told them my grandparents were Mormon. One guy said, "Oh, there always seems to be a family connection." I would remind him about this later when the other guy started telling me he KNOWS the Church is true, blah blah blah, it has made him happy his whole life. I pointed out that it is only because it was what he was taught his whole life (and reminded him about his partner's point that there was always a family connection) that he thought it was true. I told him there would be a lot fewer Mormons if they waited until people were 16 to baptize them instead of 8 when they weren't really capable of asking serious questions. Later on when he was repeating how he just knew in his heart that Mormonism was true he actually used the term "brainwashing". It's not everyday someone admits they were brainwashed!!!
They told me there has never been any proof against the Book of Mormon, although he couldn't tell me what would count as proof against it. I helped him out by telling him DNA has proven Native Americans are descended from Mongolians, not Jews. They told me some DNA tests showed some were Jewish. I pointed out this was false and Joseph Smith was just repeating a popular theory of his day.
Then they said what missionaries always say, "There have been discoveries in Mexico recently, in the last 10 years proving the Book of Mormon." I told them I have been told this by almost every Mormon Missionary I have ever talked to, only the place is changed. For instance, the last ones I talked to told me the discoveries were in Guam. The young man, completely missing the point, said, "Oh, it may have been Guam." I told him, "No, there have never been any discoveries confirming anything in the Book of Mormon, unless you could show me actual proof otherwise." In fact, for the Book of Mormon to be true, everything we know about American archeology has to be false.
Of course, his contention that the BOM has never been disproven was meaningless, as I informed him later when he told me he was so certain in his heart that Mormonism is true, because he prayed about it and the Holy Spirit guided him, that no matter what evidence he was confronted with, he knew the evidence was wrong and Mormonism was true. I thanked him for confirming my contention that Mormonism is false. If it were true, there would be no reason to have to deny evidence. That and if he denies evidence no matter what, it is meaningless to assert the BOM has never been disproven. He had no response.
They told me Joseph Smith, with his 2nd grade education (actually it is 3rd grade, but I didn't correct him) couldn't have produced the BOM. It contains over 100 new nouns. Nobody could make up that many words and names. Shakespeare only made up 36. I told him it would be very easy to make up that many words, my kids could do it. Not only that, but most of the new names in the BOM were just mishmashes of bible names. Not very impressive at all. I gave them an easy example so they could understand it. Again, no response.
It is at this point that I always like to point out that 1)according to uber Mormon historian B.H. Roberts, Joseph Smith was plenty creative enough to invent the BOM (especially since his own mother said young Joseph used to entertain the family around the fire by making up stories about ancient people and their religious practices and wars, i.e. exactly the thing the BOM is about) and 2)this is the EXACT argument the Muslims make: Muhammad, with his 3rd grade education, was not educated enough to make up the Quran. I have never gotten a response to that.
They left with me pointing out that it was awfully fishy for a guy who had lots of fun making up stories of ancient people, who was also convicted and fined for pretending to divine money buried in the ground (something prohibited in the bible, I added) to be led by an angel to find gold buried in the ground containing stories of ancient people.
So, they have nothing else (besides I know in my heart this is true, blah blah blah) other than to say "Why would Joseph be killed for what he knew wasn't true. Was he crazy or a con-man?" Okay, young missionaries, "What do you know about Joseph's death?" We know a lot, but what are you getting at? "I'm getting at the part they don't tell you in Sunday school. You know. where the mob came after Joseph when he was in jail for destroying their newspaper printing presses that were exposing his secret practicing of polygamy and some other looney teachings. Some guys snuck him in a gun and Joseph Smith actually shot three of his attackers. Not really dieing like a lamb led to the slaughter like he prophesied." They, of course, didn't know any of this. It was at this point one of them pointed out that they are sent out on their missions without really being prepared for them. Yeah, no kidding.
They had to go to another meeting. I invited them back anytime, although, I'm pretty sure they won't be stopping by again. I did encourage them to ask questions and do some research outside of Mormon sources. If Mormonism is true, they have nothing to be afraid of. It was a fun afternoon. Hopefully, they will be wise enough to take some of my advice.
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