Search found 2064 matches

by jfro18
Thu Dec 21, 2023 6:56 am
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: Born of a virgin?
Replies: 8
Views: 974

Re: Born of a virgin?

What's the gist of the podcast? Bart Ehrman goes through how the 'virgin' idea got into the Bible, why it's based on a mistranslation, and then talks a bit about how it's really nowhere else in the Bible and is actually contradicted by Mark/John and I believe he covers briefly that the birth story ...
by jfro18
Sun Dec 17, 2023 10:07 pm
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: Born of a virgin?
Replies: 8
Views: 974

Re: Born of a virgin?

I had never heard about this until last year when I was listening to a podcast about the Christmas story and it's just mind blowing. Even crazier is that a lot of scholars (Bart Ehrman included) believe that the first two chapters of Luke are late additions which really puts the story in Matthew on ...
by jfro18
Mon Nov 13, 2023 8:59 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Elder Ballard has died
Replies: 28
Views: 17692

Re: Elder Ballard has died

I don't think his legacy is altered whatsoever in the minds of believers... they either ignore the Tim Ballard stuff or excuse it. It certainly does make the church's job a lot easier is deflecting any accusations that might come from the Tim Ballard stuff now. And, no, I am NOT implying that they h...
by jfro18
Thu Nov 09, 2023 7:54 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Elder Ballard gives tithing records to Tim Ballard
Replies: 14
Views: 2270

Re: Elder Ballard gives tithing records to Tim Ballard

Or, as the current evidence suggests, MR Ballard called up big tithe payers and convinced them to give to OUR. M Russell was a fundraiser for the private organization, apparently. Yeah that would fit in there nicely too - Ballard used tithing records to find the marks to raise money for Ballard, bu...
by jfro18
Wed Nov 08, 2023 5:24 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: Elder Ballard gives tithing records to Tim Ballard
Replies: 14
Views: 2270

Re: Elder Ballard gives tithing records to Tim Ballard

Church leaders earned their reputation, whatever that reputation might be. “President Ballard has never released tithing records to Operation Underground Railroad or any other organization,” the church spokesman said. The following could be realities that would still make that statement technically...
by jfro18
Wed Oct 18, 2023 11:54 am
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: Martin Harris- why did Jos. Smith trust him with the 116 pages?
Replies: 10
Views: 5517

Re: Martin Harris- why did Jos. Smith trust him with the 116 pages?

I find the Lost 116 Pages to be absolutely fascinating and in my opinion one of the BIGGEST problems with the Book of Mormon's historicity that most people don't talk about. How'd he get it done? Why did it take so long for him to start after he purportedly had the plates? Why would he use a seer st...
by jfro18
Mon Oct 16, 2023 6:45 pm
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: Great Surprise--National Geographic
Replies: 7
Views: 5275

Re: Great Surprise--National Geographic

This article is from 2013 and has gotten a TON of play by apologists, but as you said if you want to take this study as evidence you're screwed anyway because it completely undercuts the Book of Mormon narrative (not to mention Adam and Eve in Missouri). I remember years ago listening to the 'Three ...
by jfro18
Tue Oct 03, 2023 6:51 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Counter Attack: Think Celestial = Think Polygamy!
Replies: 15
Views: 7782

Re: Counter Attack: Think Celestial = Think Polygamy!

My first thought when I saw people using this line on Twitter was that Joseph Smith literally used this line of thinking to get teenage girls to marry (and have sex with) him - they didn't want to do it, but he asked them to 'Think Celestual' in order to get them to abandon their moral compass and a...
by jfro18
Sun Oct 01, 2023 10:41 am
Forum: Support
Topic: NOMference Sunday morning Fall 2023
Replies: 71
Views: 15539

Re: NOMference Sunday morning Fall 2023

-500 for Uchtdorf or however many points it takes to ensure he goes negative. His talk will absolutely be weaponized. I'll have to read it later to see what you mean, but there seems to always be one talk per GenCon that is weaponized for the following months by certain people both online and in th...
by jfro18
Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:58 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: NOMference Saturday evening Fall 2023
Replies: 30
Views: 9354

Re: NOMference Saturday evening Fall 2023

Why even have the evening session if they can't even fill up the time? At some point it just seems silly to make families plan their evening around an hour of talks that don't provide anything that the earlier two sessions couldn't.
by jfro18
Fri Sep 29, 2023 5:50 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !
Replies: 24
Views: 10648

Re: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !

RubinHighlander wrote:
Thu Sep 28, 2023 2:46 pm
Looks like Rusty and Jeff won't even be attending this one in person, might deflate potential drama even more me thinks.
Pretty sure Nelson hurt his back trying to take out Tim Ballard in the middle of the night by himself.
by jfro18
Fri Sep 29, 2023 10:30 am
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: JS Papers accouncement by Oaks
Replies: 8
Views: 6238

Re: JS Papers accouncement by Oaks

So basically the Saints books but focused on making Joseph Smith look awesome while citing the JSP?
by jfro18
Fri Sep 29, 2023 8:17 am
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: Has Tim Ballard Been Excommunicated?
Replies: 30
Views: 13596

Re: Has Tim Ballard Been Excommunicated?

I know these courts are supposed to be confidential, but with someone who is high profile, it's getting out. They also have to let the stake and ward leaders know, so there is no way people are not going to find out he was ex'd. I'll be interested to see if WHY he was ex'd will be revealed. And if ...
by jfro18
Thu Sep 28, 2023 7:04 pm
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: Has Tim Ballard Been Excommunicated?
Replies: 30
Views: 13596

Re: Has Tim Ballard Been Excommunicated?

I just saw John posted it on Twitter as well... hmm.
by jfro18
Thu Sep 28, 2023 6:59 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: Why the church fears James Huntsman
Replies: 7
Views: 6480

Re: Why the church fears James Huntsman

Can you imagine if this goes through and paves the way for a class action, for those of us who don't have enough to retire but would if we got those donations back? I know it's only a slim chance that would happen, but I'm holding out some hope. That's the other predicament I think this puts the ch...
by jfro18
Thu Sep 28, 2023 11:10 am
Forum: Support
Topic: Why the church fears James Huntsman
Replies: 7
Views: 6480

Re: Why the church fears James Huntsman

Of course, they are not concerned at all about the direct financial loss of $5 million. They suck that much out of their members every few minutes. What they fear is that Huntsman will win discovery. All the financial books would be open and their sins would be shouted from the rooftops. This is 10...
by jfro18
Thu Sep 28, 2023 9:24 am
Forum: Support
Topic: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !
Replies: 24
Views: 10648

Re: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !

They just don't say anything of substance anymore, apart from obedience, shame for inadequate obedience, and leader adoration. Any actual information will always come through the newsroom with plenty of wiggle room for denial, removal or later modification. Yep - the last few times any real policy ...
by jfro18
Thu Sep 28, 2023 7:26 am
Forum: Support
Topic: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !
Replies: 24
Views: 10648

Re: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !

My wishful thinking: 1. Garments are only required to be worn at the temple 2. Tithing should go to local charities that will actually use the money 3. An absolute smackdown of Tim Ballard to the point where there is nothing left to salvage My actual prediction: 1. A crap-ton of temples announced 2....
by jfro18
Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:49 pm
Forum: Support
Topic: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !
Replies: 24
Views: 10648

Re: General conference predictions or wishful thinking !

This is the first time that I expect absolutely nothing... which probably means they'll do something that makes headlines. But I expect they'll continue to play footsie with all sides of Mormonism while giving talks that some people think are denouncing DezNat types and DezNat types feel are a green...
by jfro18
Mon Sep 25, 2023 10:12 am
Forum: Doctrinal Discussion
Topic: How many plates?
Replies: 9
Views: 6986

Re: How many plates?

Regardless, I’m convinced the BoM could have been engraved on the plates with the right tools. I just don’t believe they had the right tools at the time it was allegedly written. I'm not even sure you could because of what Hagoth said regarding the dimensions. I think apologists need to expand the ...