FAIR -- free ticket to say pretty much what they want?

[scottie]

I get an uneasy feeling when someone tries passing off something as factual that's based on speculation. A friend of mine brought this LDS scriptural issue to my attention yesterday:

Matt. 6:25-27 (King James Version)
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

3 Nephi 13:25-27) (Book of Mormon)
25 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Matthew 6:25-27 (Joseph Smith Translation)
25 And, again, I say unto you, go ye into the world, and care not for the world; for the world will hate you, and will persecute you, and will turn you out of their synagogues.
26 Nevertheless, ye shall go forth from house to house, teaching the people; and I will go before you.
27 And your heavenly Father will provide for you, whatsoever things ye need for food, what ye shall eat; and for raiment, what ye shall wear or put on.

The BOM verses 26-27 are word-for-word the same as KJV verses 26-27, then JS later revised/translated the KJV verses. Did JS not translate those same BOM verses correctly a few years earlier?

This is the FAIR response (link):

Joseph Smith had different purposes in mind when bringing forth the Book of Mormon and the Joseph smith Translation. His purpose in bringing forth the Book of Mormon was to witness "the reality that "Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations". Departing from the King James Version, i.e., the translation familiar to those who would become the Book of Mormon's first readers, would have been a stumbling block in achieving its purpose. On the other hand, Joseph's later purpose in bringing forth the Joseph Smith Translation is largely understood to have been one of redaction, or inspired commentary -- to resolve confusion regarding biblical interpretation[1]. Hence the different wording, and in some cases, even content.

FAIR is stating that while translating the BOM, JS would have deliberately said to himself something like, "Uh oh, this passage should say [such and such], however if I don't word it exactly like the KJV, that will be a stumbling block in achieving my purpose of witnessing the reality that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations, so I'll go with the KJV wording." And then later he revised/translated the KJV but didn't change the BOM? Really?

When FAIR goes on to say his "later purpose in bringing forth the Joseph Smith Translation is largely understood to have been one of redaction, or inspired commentary -- to resolve confusion regarding biblical interpretation", was it really redaction/inspired commentary? This is what the LDS scriptures say about the Joseph Smith Translation (link):

A revision or translation of the King James Version of the Bible in English, which the Prophet Joseph Smith began in June 1830. He was commanded by God to make the translation and regarded it as part of his calling as a prophet.

Does anyone here know what the approval process is before FAIR gets the green light to publish something? I haven't read a lot of FAIR's stuff, so this example could just be a one-off.

[Fiyero]

[il Padrino Ute]

I see a photo like this and wonder what's going to happen to the Palestinians if the day comes that they run out of rocks.

[clackamascoug]

I see a photo like this and wonder what's going to happen to the Palestinians if the day comes that they run out of rocks.

Or Children.

[CardiacCoug]

Does anyone here know what the approval process is before FAIR gets the green light to publish something? I haven't read a lot of FAIR's stuff, so this example could just be a one-off.

I don't think there is any formal approval process from the Twelve or First Presidency or anything for the stuff FAIR puts out. It's understood that the tone and content of FAIR publications will be apologetic and I think that's all that matters.

I agree with you that this is pure speculation -- and speculation that doesn't make a lot of sense. It takes a lot of imagination to think that Joseph Smith made the conscious decision to deviate from the "true" text of the Golden Plates to align the text with the Bible. These people try to claim too much -- does anybody really think the Book of Mormon was translated in some type of word for word manner, prepositions and all?

[scandell]

I see a photo like this and wonder what's going to happen to the Palestinians if the day comes that they run out of rocks.

Geesh. Look at the ground in that photo! It's RIDDLED with perfect-for-throwing rocks! No wonder...