Difficult? Hardly.
This is from the Interactive Bible -- a simplistic website, but I've seen many links to it. It just dumps a lot of complaints about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since it's so huge, there's no point for anyone to go through point-by-point. Really the only way to learn the truth about heavenly things is through revelation from God in Heaven. That's why all we ask is to read the Book of Mormon, ponder your feelings, and pray and ask God if it's true.
All the same, for those that want to know what we think about each of these things, I made a fairly decent effort.
General:
1. Moroni took the plates to preserve them. The tablets containing the 10 commandments did not prove that they were written by the finger of God, nor would the physical Book of Mormon plates. God wants us to live by faith.
2. Yes. In fact, I already done so. Have you read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it?
3. English hadn't been standardized yet. There are many more variations between the different manuscripts of the Bible, but I still believe it to be the word of God.
4. Nobody claims the translation of the Bible into English was inspired. But like you might go back to the original Greek and Hebrew Bible, we can go back to the English Book of Mormon.
5. They aren't very similar. A couple things resemble one another, hardly "stunning."
6. There's only one Book of Mormon, but many different translations of the Bible.
7. The changes to the Book of Mormon don't affect whether it is true any more than different English translations of the Bible affect its truth. Joseph Smith made changes to the Book of Mormon after it was first published to fix spelling and typographical errors, as well as other changes so as to avoid confusion.
8. They were not a solid block of gold, but on thin plates. Air between the pages would greatly reduce the weight. Also, they probably weren't pure gold, but more likely a gold-alloy that still had "the appearance of gold." This would further reduce the weight to something more manageable.
9. Because the final judgement is still yet to come.
10. 'Cause not everyone is a good Mormon that follows our own religion.
11. Darkness covered Jerusalem for three hours. Darkness covered Zarahemla (on the other side of the planet) for three days.
12. This is a third-hand account. Even if he did say it, this is what scientists believed at the time. I don't trust prophets and scriptures to teach me science-- I trust them to teach me salvation.
13. Hey! Something I haven't heard before. Joseph Smith only wrote 13 Articles of Faith in the Wentworth Letter. Orson Pratt published a tract in England with the extra article of faith and other embellishments.
14. Not a prophecy, but a commandment. And besides, the Nauvoo House is still there.
15. Read Hebrews 7 again. This is the scripture you cite, yet it says Christ changed all that.
16. Christ created our physical body in the image of His spiritual body. Our spirit body and physical body look identical, so this is a non-issue. (see Ether 3:16)
17. The source cited doesn't mention "physical union," but that Heavenly Father is Father of Jesus Christ. All Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God, but that doesn't necessarily mean Heavenly Father literally had physical relations with Mary.
18. Nephi's Temple was "after the manner of the temple of Solomon," not identical.
19. From your source, it sounds like his October preaching was in support of the July revelation -- Joseph Smith has the keys, people can't just go marrying multiple wives without God's permission.
20. [As an active Latter-day Saint, I choose not to discuss the temple.]
Culture:
1. You acknowledge that they have silk-like material and dismiss it? Okay.
2. It doesn't say these chariots had wheels. The rest of the Book of Mormon implies all transportation was all on foot, so we don't know the nature of this one mention of chariots.
3. Because they were living the law of Moses. We don't know if the Book of Mormon people lived among the pre-classic Mayans, let alone if they used their calendar.
4. So they probably had some kind of curved weapon. The Nephites would have had their own word, and Joseph chose to translate it using an English word for a similar weapon.
5. The Book of Mormon has prophets learning of Christ at the Tower of Babel, thousands of years before Quetzalcoatl.
6. These people are mentioned. They're called the Jaredites.
7. Same reasons these types of comparisons aren't made in the Bible -- They aren't history books. The purpose of scriptures are to teach the gospel.
Metallurgy
1. All these metals either fall under, "The Book of Mormon doesn't make that claim," or "Actually, they did have this."
2. Not only was metallurgy fairly limited in the Book of Mormon, we don't know that they were the Mayans.
Book of Mormon Animals:
1. The Nephites probably gave these animals names they were familiar with. This is normal.
2. Maybe you've just discovered what cureloms and cumoms are.
Book of Mormon Crops:
1. These plants did exist.
2. 2. Maybe you've just discovered what neas and sheum are.
Book of Mormon Geography
1. Why isn't the terrain of Israel described? The Bible and Book of Mormon are not geography books -- they are to teach us the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Archeology has relatively just begun in the new world. We've only scratched the surface.
3. Because the Nephites were wiped out prior to 400 AD.
4. We don't know where it is.
5. Why would there be gaps during a time that people exist?
6. This would have been much later than the Book of Mormon. It's normal for Mormons, especially Joseph Smith, to call any Native American a Lamanite.
7. The Book of Mormon says Hebrew and Egyptian had been altered by them.
Book of Mormon Script:
1. Forget the Greek words, why all the English words? The Book of Mormon is a translation.
2. There are, but not many.
3. Should we expect there to be?
4. Lehi's family was probably injected to a much larger culture.
5. And, why are there so many writing systems known in the old world? ... I'm really not seeing how this is relevant.
6. Because Reformed Egyptian is not Egyptian.
7. We don't know where the Book of Mormon takes place. But this is one reason why people think it took place in Mesoamerica.
8. Even on the very few inscriptions of names that date to Book of Mormon times, experts are uncertain on the pronunciation.
Book of Mormon Races
1. The 1981 revision is based on changes Joseph Smith made, but were left out of later editions of the Book of Mormon. To become pure is only to become symbolically white, not literally.
2. You're making a lot of assumptions. Lehi was not a Jew, but a Josephite. Also, Lehi's family probably weren't alone here. Jaredites weren't even Hebrew at all.
3. They are Lamanites, in the sense that they are descendants of them. (The distinction is they aren't their only ancestors.) The thing about genes is, they spread.
Book of Mormon Witnesses
1. This is a figure of speech. They did literally see the plates.
2. God does not reward the faithless. (see Hebrews 11:6)
3. Did he condemn them? Do we extol them?
4. They thought Joseph Smith was a fallen prophet. Seeing is not enough.
5. Again, seeing is not enough. Satan is powerful, you need to keep the Spirit of God with you.
6. Probably because they were the only ones that had faith. There was also Oliver Cowdary and Hyrum Paige.
Book of Mormon Style and Inconsistencies
1. This question again? English spelling hadn't been standardized yet.
2. Moroni and Nephi seem like very different characters to me.
3. Because this was the language of scriptures of the day. Even more recent, Dead Sea Scrolls are often translated into King James English.
4. Though Joseph didn't record the incident, others talked about it secondhand. Geologically, it is impossible for the Hill Cumorah in New York to have a cave.
5. Why are clichéd Christian phrases found in the New Testament?
6. It was Ether that wrote on plates. Ether was contemporary or even later than Lehi. But that's beside the point. There does exist metal plates from thousands of years before Christ.
7. To contrast between it and Alma's humble prayer, found in the same chapter.
8. I don't know. I'm not sure your point...
9. The Aaronic priesthood was in the tribe of Levi. So, Lehi must have had the Melchizedek Priesthood.
10. Shakespeare does not appear in the Book of Mormon. Nor was he alive to help in the translation process. Should probably clarify your question.
11. So that they would be preserved. The Book of Abraham never had this protection.
12. Joseph wasn't confused. Everyone knew it was Moroni. Nephi was a one-time mistake.
Prophecies in the Book of Mormon
1. Why are the prophecies in the Bible dealing with events that had already occurred unrealistically specific? Why do the unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible remain unfulfilled? (also, technically the 3 witnesses hadn't happened yet, and Charles Anthon story is from the Bible.)
1. It does add things that the New Testament does not address. Like, what He did after his ascension to the Father.
2. Will they stop occupying Israel when they believe in Christ?
3. Must have skipped that part.
Influenced by Joseph Smith's background
1. Definitely patriotism, but hardly anything about a revolutionary war. Why shouldn't there be?
2. Why is an agrarian society the setting for the entire Bible? Joseph Smith must have wrote that too?
3. Except this democracy is hardly like ours at all.
4. Is it purely coincidental that history is filled with battles? Is it purely coincidental that the Book of Mormon never mentions mounds?
5. Earthen fortifications more closely match Mesoamerican fortifications than forts of the frontier.
6. While I don't see Nephi and Joseph being similar, I struggle to see how Alvin and Hyrum could be Laman and Lemuel.
7. Joseph Smith must have wrote the Bible too, since he has "so many common traits" with Joseph and Samuel.
8. Because it was written for our day. It was not read by anyone in ancient times: Mormon and Moroni wrote it and hid it in the ground for us.
9. Why did Joseph Smith join the Masons if he was against them?
10. Why would the same issues come up on different sides of the planet?
Influenced by the KJV of the Bible
1. You already asked this. This was the language of scripture, and is still occasionally used, for example, in translating Dead Sea Scrolls.
2. It was written by people inspired by the same source (God).
3. Italicized words aren't in the original-- they are added to make it grammatically correct. And you might want to check your copy of the Book of Mormon again. That verse we don't delete anything, but add "unto."
4. Isaiah lived in the 700's BC. Why wouldn't they have Isaiah's writings?
5. They were written by people inspired by the same source (God).
6. Why wouldn't a group of Hebrews have good Hebrew names?
7. He never talked about the translation process at all, except that it was by the "Gift and power of God."
8. They were written by people inspired by the same source (God).
1. Why are English words used throughout the Book of Mormon? This is a translation. Christ means, "annointed" from the Hebrew, Messiah.
2. The Book of Mormon translation is probably analogous to the translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Same as King James Version except where different.
3. Is this the same question as #2?
4-6. This is the same as #2.
7. They were written by people inspired by the same source (God).
8. Perhaps Malachi was quoting the prophet Nephi says he is quoting.
9. Why do so many stories from the New Testament seem like exaggerated borrowings from the Old Testament?
Inflluenced by happenings of early 19th century America
1. They doesn't confuse them. They understood them.
2. It's okay for people to teach things that are true.
3. It was written for our day.
4. No? So all the Old Testament prophets were only crying repentance by quietly writing in books no one would read?
5. It doesn't seem like one to me.
6. Mosiah preached from a tower at the temple, revivals are in tents.
7. This is common in revivals, huh?
8. Is repentance a bad thing now?
9. Is forgiveness a bad thing now?
10-12. etc.
13. Because it was a common theory at the time.
14. No. You already asked this. There are actually very few similarities.
15. No. There are very few similarities.
16. No. Not very significant.
17. This is from the same article that said, "sorry, I wouldn't call that silk!" :/
Main themes of Mormonism not in the Book of Momon
1. Because this isn't a main theme of Mormonism.
2. These themes are better found in the Bible.
3. Plural marriage is not necessary for exhalation. The Book of Mormon says why it is condemned, but may be condoned.
4. The Bible.
Treasure Hunting and Magic
1. He was arrested for money digging. It was just an examination, not a trial. It seems he was acquitted.
2. He used it to receive revelation.
3. The stone would make the words appear, glowing. The hat was to block out all other light, so Joseph could read it.
4. It wasn't a prophecy. But even still, they found "treasure" in the people of Salem who joined the church.
5. They were spiritual, not magical. The Nephite Interpreters Joseph were given were originally given to the Brother of Jared.
6. Because when everyone is a Gadianton Robber, your stuff is going to get stolen.
First Vision:
1. Joseph Smith was emphasizing different parts each time he told it.
2. Both God and Jesus Christ were there.
3. It's doubtful that Brigham was ignorant.
4. We believe that everyone is an Angel. Context shows Wilford wasn't ignorant.
5. John Taylor knew.
6. George Albert Smith knew, told the First Vision several times.
7. Why wasn't the Bible written until decades after Christ's death and resurrection?
8.What makes you think that?
9. No evidence?
10. You think there was only one revival? 1820 seems reasonable.
11. Source?
12. You can have ordinary dreams or you can have visionary dreams. Lehi is saying he had one of the latter-- a dream that actually means something. Joseph Smith is just translating.
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