The LDS church is embarrassed by its own book

The Mormons did it again. They changed the Book of Mormon to make it a bit less embarrassing.

To see this best, though, you need to go get your Book of Mormon. I know you've got one somewhere. I'll wait.

OK, good. You found it.

Now check out the last sentence of the second paragraph of the official "Introduction" (assuming you got yours before November 2007).

After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the Native Americans.

And here it is after the change.

After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the Native Americans.

See the difference? The Lamanites went from "the principal ancestors" of the American Indians to being "among the ancestors."

If that doesn't seem like a big deal to you, you're not a Mormon. Because until 2007 the LDS church taught and every Mormon believed that the Lamanites were the (principal and only) ancestors of the Native Americans.

But then in 2007, the LDS church demoted the Lamanites to "among" status because it became too embarrassing to claim otherwise.

Now the LDS church is removing the racist language from two of its official introductions to chapters of the Book of Mormon.

Once again, get out your silly blue book and read the introduction to 2 Nephi 5.

The Nephites separate themselves from the Lamanites, keep the law of Moses, and build a temple -- Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cursed, receive a skin of blackness, and become a scourge unto the Nephites. 2 Nephi 5 Introduction, before December 17, 2010

And here is the new 2010 cleaned up version.

The Nephites separate themselves from the Lamanites, keep the law of Moses, and build a temple—Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cut off from the presence of the Lord, are cursed, and become a scourge unto the Nephites. About 588–559 B.C. 2 Nephi 5 Introduction, after December 17, 2010

In the original, God cursed the Lamanites for their unbelief by turning their skin black; in the new, improved version, God just curses them, with no mention skin color.

And here is the original introduction to Mormon 5:

Mormon again leads the Nephite armies in battles of blood and carnage--The Book of Mormon shall come forth to convince all Israel that Jesus is the Christ--The Lamanites shall be a dark, filthy, and loathsome people--They shall receive the gospel from the Gentiles in latter days. Mormon 5 Introduction, before December 17, 2010

And here's the new version.

Mormon again leads the Nephite armies in battles of blood and carnage—The Book of Mormon will come forth to convince all Israel that Jesus is the Christ—Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites will be scattered, and the Spirit will cease to strive with them—They will receive the gospel from the Gentiles in the latter days. About A.D. 375–84. Mormon 5 Introduction, after December 17, 2010

The new introduction to Mormon 5 deletes the part about the Lamanites being "a dark, filthy, and loathsome people" and instead says that they'll be scattered and "the Spirit will cease to strive with them."

The LDS church made these changes because it's embarrassed by the obvious racism in the Book of Mormon, as well it should be. And yet the original introductions to 2 Nephi 5 and Mormon 5 were completely accurate.

Here's what it says in 2 Nephi 5. (They haven't had the courage to to change it -- yet.)

He had caused the cursing to come upon them ... wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people ... And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. 2 Nephi 5:21-23

And here's a quote from Mormon 5.

This people ... shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people ... because of their unbelief and idolatry ... They were once a delightsome people ... But now, behold, they are led about by Satan. Mormon 5:15-18

The Book of Mormon is as absurd as it is disgusting. It's good to see that the Mormons are finally recognizing that fact.

I wonder what they'll change next.

1 Nephi 19: Zenos' Paradox

It's hard to keep track of all the plates in the Book of Mormon.

Remember the the plates of Lehi? You know, the ones that Lehi forgot when he left Jerusalem, so he had to send his sons back get them? Lehi's plates were so important to God that he sent an angel to force Nephi to decapitate an unconscious man so he could steal his plates.

Then came the plates of Nephi: two separate sets of plates, actually, both confusingly named by Nephi "the plates of Nephi." One for "the more part of the ministry" and the other "for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions."

And now, in chapter 19, God tells Nephi to make another set. I guess you just can't have too many plates.

And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them. 1 Nephi 19:1

On his third set of plates, Nephi only included the "more plain and precious" stuff, leaving out any unnecessary words, as you'd expect from someone engraving on plates of ore.

And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates. And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord. Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another, or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord. And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people. 1 Nephi 19:2-5

Nephi didn't write anything on the plates unless it was sacred.

Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. 1 Nephi 19:6a

But he admits that he might have made some mistakes, like the guys who wrote the Bible did. Not that he's making any excuses, of course.

And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself. 1 Nephi 19:6b

Then Nephi starts in again with prophecy, repeating the same stuff he's already told us several times before. (1 Nephi 10:4, 11:18, 13:40)

Jesus will be born 600 years after Lehi and his family left Jerusalem (and 592 years after Nephi wrote the prophecy down in his little brass book.)

And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem. 1 Nephi 19:8

But at least he does throw in a few new names. Zenock, Neum, and Zenos -- Old Testament prophets whose writings were removed by that great and abominable church founded by the devil. (You know, the Catholics.)

Anyway, Zenock, Neum, and Zenos knew all about Jesus. He'd be crucified, buried in a sepulchre, and after his death, there'd be three days of darkness.

And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel. 1 Nephi 19:10

Three days of darkness? Yeah, that's what Zenos prophesied. The entire earth would be completely dark for three days after Jesus' death (See 3 Nephi 8:20-22 and Helaman 14:27 for the exciting details), as a sign to Lehi's descendants in "the isles of the sea" (the Lamanites in America and Polynesia).

Of course that's not what the Bible says. Matthew, Mark, and Luke say it was dark for three hours just before Jesus died. (It's one of the few things those three guys agree on.) But that's because the evil Catholics changed the plain and precious shit in the Bible.

Zenos prophesied further that mountains would be carried away after Jesus died, along with lots of other nutty stuff. (See 3 Nephi 8 where cities sunk, mountains were moved and dumped upon cities, etc.)

For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit ... others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up. And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers. 1 Nephi 19:11-12

Then Zenos explains how all kinds of bad stuff would happen to the Jews because they "crucify the God of Israel." They'd be hated by all nations, wander in the flesh, etc.

And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel. And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations. 1 Nephi 19:13-14

And finally, after blathering on about nothing for a few verses, Nephi says he's going to swipe a couple of chapters from the book of Isaiah as a bit of filler for his plates of brass.

Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; And it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass ... I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah. 1 Nephi 19:22-23

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Blogging the Book of Mormon

Next episode -- 1 Nephi 20-21: I will feed them with their own flesh; they shall be drunken with their own blood

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Surah 3 -- Allah is the best of schemers

The last surah (2) took eleven posts over a period of five months. Even considering its length (286 verses), that's just too darned long. At that rate, it'd take me about nine years to finish blogging the Quran. So I'm going to speed things up a bit.

That's not that hard to do, at least with Surah 3. It, too, is long (200 verses), but it doesn't have much to say. And what it does say, it says over and over again.

So I just went through the whole thing and grouped the interesting verses into categories. Here's what I came up with.

Some scriptures are allegorical and some are not. No one understands the allegorical stuff except for Allah.

He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. 3:7

Take 3:13, for example, an allegorical scripture if there ever was one.

Allah tells us about a battle between the good guys (the Muslims) and the bad guys (the non-Muslims). One side saw "clearly, with their very eyes" that the other side had twice as many soldiers. End of story. "Lo! herein verily is a lesson for those who have eyes." (I guess I don't have eyes.)

There was a token for you in two hosts which met: one army fighting in the way of Allah, and another disbelieving, whom they saw as twice their number, clearly, with their very eyes. Thus Allah strengtheneth with His succour whom He will. Lo! herein verily is a lesson for those who have eyes. 3:13

But Allah doesn't use allegory when he tells us how he feels about people. He has a simple rule that he always follows: he likes Muslims and hates everyone else.

Why does Allah like Muslims so much? Because they are the best people on earth, they behave themselves, forbid indecency, and believe in Allah. Allah loves people who believe in him.

Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers. 3:110

Still, he likes some Muslims more than others.

Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures. They were descendants one of another. Allah is Hearer, Knower. 3:33-34

And he absolutely hates non-Muslims.

Allah loveth not the disbelievers. 3:32

Some day he'll even color-code the living dead by whitening the faces of Muslims and blackening the faces of non-Muslims.

On the Day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief ? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved. 3:106

While they are alive, Allah will terrorize the non-Muslims.

We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. 3:151

And after they die, he'll torment them forever by burning their resurrected bodies.

Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, theirs will be a heavy doom. 3:4

Those who disbelieve ... will be fuel for Fire. 3:10

Those who disbelieve ... shall be ... gathered unto Hell. 3:12

Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning. 3:19

Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah ... promise them a painful doom. 3:21

They say: The Fire will not touch us save for a certain number of days. That which they used to invent hath deceived them regarding their religion. 3:24

As for those who disbelieve I shall chastise them with a heavy chastisement in the world and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers. 3:56

Whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter. 3:85

Those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief ... Theirs will be a painful doom and they will have no helpers. 3:91

Those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom, 3:105

Those who disbelieve ... are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. 3:116

And ward off (from yourselves) the Fire prepared for disbelievers. 3:131

Those who purchase disbelief at the price of faith harm Allah not at all, but theirs will be a painful doom. 3:177

Those who disbelieve ... We only give them rein that they may grow in sinfulness. And theirs will be a shameful doom. 3:178

But there is one group of people that Allah hates even more than non-Muslims (if such a thing is possible): Muslim apostates. They are cursed by Allah, the angels, and men combined.

People who disbelieved after their belief ... on them rests the curse of Allah and of angels and of men combined. They will abide therein. Their doom will not be lightened, neither will they be reprieved. 3:86-88

So don't be friends with non-Muslims.

Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. 3:28

O ye who believe! Take not for intimates others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. 3:118

Don't obey them.

O ye who believe! if ye obey those who disbelieve, they will make you turn back on your heels, and ye turn back as losers. 3:149

Or believe anything they say.

Believe not save in one who followeth your religion. 3:73

But ask Allah to help you defeat them.

Give us victory over the disbelieving folk. 3:147

Because Muslims can beat non-Muslims any day of the week.

Ye will overcome them if ye are (indeed) believers. 3:139

And only Muslim chicken-shits are inspired by Satan.

Lo! those of you who turned back on the day when the two hosts met, Satan alone it was who caused them to backslide 3:155

So don't worry about dying in a holy war against non-Muslims.

Though ye be slain in Allah's way or die therein? Surely pardon from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass. 3:157

Because Muslim holy war soldiers never die, they just hang out in nice gardens with pure companions.

For those who keep from evil, with their Lord, are Gardens underneath which rivers flow wherein they will abide, and pure companions, and contentment from Allah. 3:15

Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living ... Jubilant (are they) ... rejoicing ... neither shall they grieve. 3:169-170

Those who ... were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. 3:195

And then there are a few strange stories and tiny tidbits that Allah wants to share with you.

There's the one about Allah, Jesus, and magic clay birds.

Lo! I [Allah] fashion for you [Jesus] out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah's leave. 3:49

And this good advice for believers of all religions.

Why then argue ye concerning that whereof ye have no knowledge? 3:66

And finally, my favorite verse in Surah 3: "Allah is the best of all schemers."

And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers. 3:54

You KNOW it's a Myth

And I think most people really do know that. They just won't admit it.

Or as Stephen Colbert put it:

A myth? What part of three kings following a star through a desert to bring presents to an immaculately conceived baby god they dreamed about seems like a myth to you?

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Five Golden Hemorrhoids: A Biblically Correct Version of The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Goddamned Fruitless Fig Tree

And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. ... And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Mark 11:13-20

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two hundred foreskins

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines ... And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well ... Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David. 1 Samuel 18:25-28

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Three naked years

At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah ... saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder. Isaiah 20:2-3

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Four-footed fowls

All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. Leviticus 11:20

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Five golden hemorrhoids

What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice ... Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land ... And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. 1 Samuel 6:4-11

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Six-winged beasts

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes. Revelation 4:8

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Seven bloody sprinkles

The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD. Leviticus 4:6, 4:17

And he shall kill the one of the birds ... And he shall take ... the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird ... and sprinkle the house seven times. Leviticus 14:50-51

And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat ... seven times. Leviticus 16:14

And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times. Leviticus 16:19

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eight bodies burning

But the fearful (1), and unbelieving (2), and the abominable (3), and murderers (4), and whoremongers (5), and sorcerers (6), and idolaters (7), and all liars (8), shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A nine cubit bed

Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead ... nine cubits was the length thereof. Deuteronomy 3:11

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

The tenth plague of Egypt

At midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle ... and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Exodus 12:29-30

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eleven hardened hearts

1. And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. Exodus 4:11

2. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. Exodus 7:3

3. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Exodus 7:13

4. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses. Exodus 9:12

5. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: Exodus 10:1

6. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.Exodus 10:20

7. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.Exodus 10:27

8. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. Exodus 11:10

9. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. Exodus 14:4

10. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel Exodus 14:8

11. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour.Exodus 14:17

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Twelve concubine pieces

So the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was ... and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. Judges 19:25-29