Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: rahvin
Vic here is a clue for you. If you look at my profile you will notice I'm from SLC. I was raised in the mormon church and my family still are members, I attended services and instruction until the age of 18 including graduating from Seminary and taking collage courses at the LDS institute while in collage. I have heard the story of the discovery of the plates and everything depicted in the Southpark episode more times than you could ever imagine. I've also read 90% of the book of mormon more than once. I've also read large portions of the doctirine and covenants, book of abraham and the pearl of great price. I've recieved religious instruction in all books more than once in my seminary studies. With that said:
The story as presented was fairly accurate. I noticed no glaring error in anything they presented. The church itself will undoubtably deny the looking in the hat stuff these days as they continue to attempt to rewrite history that puts them in a bad light (the result of a prophit that started in and spent most of his career in the church's PR department). If you wish to debate any specific point of the episode I would be happy to point you to historical sources of reference that would confirm everything I remember in the episode.
Amish also grew up in the church and could likely confirm the episodes authenticity as well but I'm not sure he didn't get out sooner than I did and might not know as much about the theology. Besides with his taste in TV and movies he probably hates southpark.
A clue for you would be that I grew up in the church as well, and I've posted about that in the past. Two of my older brothers served their missions, I graduated from seminary as well, have the read the BofM several times cover to cover as well as the D&C, etc. and many in my family are also still active in church (I have not for more than a decade). One whole side of my family is pretty much just like the family in the South Park episode and yes, they live in Utah (although not in SLC).
I won't say the South Park episode was entirely wrong, just that it wasn't entirely accurate. For example, the timeline was all wrong. You're given the impression that it all happened rather quickly while Smith was a grown man when in fact it showed events that occurred over some 11 years, from when Smith was 14 until he was 25. Is that nit-picking? Perhaps, but I don't think so considering the excessively negative bias.
I feel there are other discrepencies are well, but most of them in this long-disputed story involve one person's unconfirmed word against another's same, and I have argued it in the past and found it tiresome.
All religions have odd beliefs and strange origins. I think it's just because people in general are so wierd. You oughta check out Catholicism or the other Christian sects sometime, or the 10 million gods of Hinduism, or (God helps us) the philosphical irrationality of so-called rational atheism.
That's why I said, "At least the ending was right. "
Most people go through this world in a very unhappy state. If a person can find something to believe in that makes them happy, and it harms no one else, then I will defend that person's belief even when I don't believe in it myself.