They had to plagiarize travel books.

The Mom kind of admits it on her death bed.

What a scam.

by Fawn Brodie. She was at one time a Mormon and the book is an expose on Joseph Smith. I read it years ago and it is considered historically accurate. She depicts Joseph Smith as a con man who stole the Book of Mormon from a neighboring farmer who had written it as a piece of fiction. Not sure Brodie concludes that's where the book came from but she recounts the allegations made at the the time.

I suspect this author read Brodie's book but if he didn't, and in that short interview it sounds like he had not read her book, he's an idiot.

But if, for any reason, you are interested in the real dish of the LDS church, read Brodie.

which dissects and dismantles Mormonism (aka: Joseph Smith)...of course, the book was written by Mormon, Fawn Brodie...as expected she was ex-communicated, but because she was Mormon she was provided with access to key historical documents which the LDS hols close to the vest, so-to-speak...

Also, I believe Brodie was the first historian to claim that Thomas Jefferson fathered a child with his slave, Sally Hemmings...of course, she was lambasted by (many) historians...

Again, great book, not just about Smith, but frontier history in general...

But, how in the hell did Scientology become such a movie star magnet? Really, L. Ron Hubbard's, sci-fi books were such an obvious lead-in to the creation of Scientology. It does not take much pondering (and damned little investigation) to determine that Hubbard found a "get rich quick" scheme based on his admittedly fiction writings. I can see a few not-so-bright people being Hubbard's disciples (there's a sucker born every minute) but how did it become "the" religion of the movie stars? Any ideas?

They use e-meters to train you to stay relaxed even when confronted with insults. But I think that hardly rates as "religion".

It's all a scam

Twas a mighty flood.

When you're in the Democratic Party in Arizona...........the name applies

That said, I was amazed at the pass that the religious Right granted Romeny. Jesus! They're DUMBER than I thought!

They accepted the heresy of Mormonism as naught but an insignificant mote compared to their overwhelming hatred of the mixed-race and duly elected President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama.

No Mam; That's not History.

I have never heard of an in-depth analysis of the Book of Mormon like this and if the data points match on the allegedly-plagiarized material then the whole religion is, in an arguably objective sense, a scam.

PB

The Ten Commandments was taken from the Egyptian aka Kemetic text "Book of the Dead".

the Pharaoh who was the first in history (as we know it) to believe in only ONE god, might also be Moses.

I believe there is a 60 year difference between them with Akenaten being first on the time line; but people in biblilcan times sure seemed to live loooonnnnngg lives.

by Bedouin style people who were sheep and camel herders, they would all learn from each other. I believe that Paul went to Saudi Arabia for four years after his Damascus moment before coming back with his Christ model. I am sure there is a story there.

not just other religious texts... making it more obvious of a scam

...they were also horse thieves, and Joseph got arrested for that at least once.

I'm shocked!!