Religion Today

Requests from a few listeners led host Martin Tanner to present in this episode of Religion Today, a few of the very best evidences of the Book of Mormon, including, (1) although writing on metal plates was unknown in Joseph Smith's day, examples of writing on metal plates during Book of Mormon times have been found in the Middle East and Central America; (2) During Joseph Smith's lifetime, horses were thought to have been unknown to Native Americans until the arival of Columbus, but the Book of Mormon mentions horses, and now examples of horses prior to Columbus have been found by archaeologists; (3) During Joseph Smith's lifetime, Native Americans were thought to use bows and arrows, and spears as weapons, but examples of Head-shields, Head-plates, scimitars, and other items of warfare have been found which verify statement in the Book of Mormon.  Martin gives many other examples of evidence Joseph Smith could not have known, which are found in the Book of Mormon, that are now supported by archeology, linguistics and other scientific evidence.  

Requests from a few listeners led host Martin Tanner to present in this episode of Religion Today, a few of the very best evidences of the Book of Mormon, including, (1) although writing on metal plates was unknown in Joseph Smith's day, examples of writing on metal plates during Book of Mormon times have been found in the Middle East and Central America; (2) During Joseph Smith's lifetime, horses were thought to have been unknown to Native Americans until the arival of Columbus, but the Book of Mormon mentions horses, and now examples of horses prior to Columbus have been found by archaeologists; (3) During Joseph Smith's lifetime, Native Americans were thought to use bows and arrows, and spears as weapons, but examples of Head-shields, Head-plates, scimitars, and other items of warfare have been found which verify statement in the Book of Mormon.  Martin gives many other examples of evidence Joseph Smith could not have known, which are found in the Book of Mormon, that are now supported by archeology, linguistics and other scientific evidence.  

Host Martin Tanner explains Jewish, Christian and Latter-day Saint ideas about what happened to the Lost 10 Tribes.  He explains various explanation about where they are now, and when and under what circumstances they will return

Martin Tanner points out the pros and cons of some of the most popular, most popular and widely read English Bible translations, including the King James Version, the Good News Bible, the New Revised Standard Version updated edition, New English Translation with over 60,000 scholarly footnotes, and Martin's personal favorite, the Contemporary English Version. 

Martin Tanner describes the Jewish sects that existed about a century before the time of Christ, during the lifetime of Christ, and about a century after, including the Maccabees, Sadducees, Phrisees, Zealots, Essenes, Gelileans, and several Baptist groups. The Maccabees were the first sect within Judaism.  The Sadducees denied the resurrection.  The Pharisees were the "lawyers" of the New Testament era.  They knew the laws of Judaism.. The Zealots did not separate religion and politics, and were the terrorists of their day, killing with knives those who they thought were thwarting the truth.  The Essenes were the Dead Sea Scrolls community.  They though themselves to be the livers of the higher law.

Seven forest fire-fighters who died in the flames and saw each other's spirits above their bodies, only to miraculously return to life after the fire had passed.  Knowledge of the future acquired during near-death experiences, only to be supressed upon returning to life through the veil of forgetfulness.  Premonitions and warnings in the form of actual voices from God or a guardian angel. Miraculous healings, from Multiple Sclerosis and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.  Religion Today host, Martin Tanner describes these events, and other rare and lesser known elements of near-death experiences. 

In this episode of Religion Today, Martin Tanner describes what the Joseph Smith's "Inspired Version" or "Inspired Revision" of the Bible is. It is not an inspired revision to bring the text back to the original wording.  It is more of an inspired expansion and revision of important passages. Martin provides insights into how to better understand the "Inspired Version."

In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner gives a brief overview of the Book of Abraham and the Book of Moses, the least read and least understood scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The Book of Moses is part of the "Inspired Translation" of the Bible sometimes called the "Inspired Version."  The Book of Abraham is a translation of a scroll of Egyptian Papyri, about 60 or so feet long, one of fact scrolls, acquired by the Church in 1835.  Martin Tanner describes both books, briefly describes their contents, and responds to critics who falsely claim they are not genuine translations of ancient documents 

In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner examines the plausibility of the claims made by Joseph Smith about the origin of The Book of Mormon, translated by the gift and power of God.  He also examines the plausibility of the claims of critics who say Sidney Rigdon or Oliver Cowdery were authors.  Martin also examines the plausibility of the claims that Ethan Smith's book View of the Hebrews or Solomon Spanding's manuscript were the source for The Book of Mormon.  Martin concludes it would be impossible for Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery or View of the Hebrews, or the Spalding manuscript to be the source for the Book of Mormon.  Martin also examines the Ex-Mormons claims that similar wording in the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon means The Book of Mormon is not an ancient document, and finds this theory logically flawed.

In this episode of Religion Today host Martin Tanner explores whether there is a real, or only apparent, conflict between religion and the theory of evolution.  Scientists claim evolution isn't a theory, but a fact. But science does not support that claim.  When the fossil record is examined closely, it is obvious it does not support the theory of evolution, because over 95% of all life forms in existence today, appeared in less than one-tenth of one-percent of the time life has existed on earth, in an explosion of new life forms, not slowly and incrementally, as Charles Darwin and his the theory of evolution predicted.  In addition, the fossil record does not have the transitional forms that would be needed to provide evidence for the theory of evolution.