permission of the author, Gilbert W. Scharffs.
Front Matter
Overview Chapters
- I. Disrespectful, Derogatory and Demeaning Language (Verbal Violence)
- II. Errors, Misinterpretations And Exaggerations Concerning LDS Doctrine
- III. Scriptures Quoted Out of Context or Paraphrased Wrongly
- IV. Edited Quotations That Change the Original Intent
- V. Contradictory Statements Made in the Book
- VI. Historical and Factual Errors
- VII. Undocumented Charges
- VIII. Edited Quotations That Change the Original Historical Facts
- IX. Generalizations and Exaggerations
- X. Unwarranted Conclusions
- XI. Criticisms with Some Merit
- XII. The LDS Church and Utah Statistics
- XIII. Book of Mormon Contents
- XIV. Observations
Detail Chapters
- 1. The Restored Church of Christ
- 2. A Satisfying Answer
- 3. The Gospel Returned To the Earth
- 4. “We Are the Offspring of God” (Acts 17:29)
- 5. “Faith Without Works Is Dead” (James 2:20)
- 6. “To Them That Are Dead” (1 Peter 4:6)
- 7. “A Marvelous Work” (Isaiah 29:14)
- 8. “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”
- 9. Original Christian Concepts Returned
- 10. “Stand in the Holy Place” (Matthew 24:15)
- 11. Marriage Can Be for Eternity
- 12. Marriage Is Ordained of God
- 13. “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments”
- 14. Christ Will Return to His Temple
- 15. Apostles and Prophets Should Continue in the Church (Ephesians 4:11-14)
- 16. Christ’s Promised Gospel Restoration is Here”
- 17. Choose Christ and His Apostles
Appendixes
- A: Letter from Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith
- B: National Conference of Christians and Jews Statement
- C: Samples of Prophecies of Joseph Smith That Have Been Fulfilled
- Index to Criticisms and Responses
HOW TO LOCATE INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK
Readers of this book will find it helpful to know how it is laid out, and how to find specific information. This book includes:
A. Preliminaries, including Contents page (20 pages)
B. Overview (61 pages)
C. Detailed and Documented Responses (315 pages)
D. Three appendixes (18 pages)
E. Topical index (10 pages)
This book also uses an unusual system of references and cross references, as explained below.
The two major sections of the book are:
A. Overview (pages 1-61)—a summary of errors found in the book “The God Makers,” by Decker and Hunt, and my brief responses to them. There are no references from the index to this section.
B. Detailed and Documented Responses (pages 63-377)—an extensive examination of and response to points raised in the Decker-Hunt book. References in this section are printed in bold face type, refer to specific pages and lines in the Decker-Hunt book, and follow the chapter-by chapter outline of that book. It is not necessary, however, for the reader to have that book before him. Cross-references to relevant material within this section also use the page/line citations of the original book.
Text excerpts from the book are usually printed in italic type, and my responses are in standard type. When I have drawn on external authoritative sources in making responses, they are cited with the responses. Quotations from printed sources follow the standard pattern; for example, omissions are indicated by ellipses marks (thus . . . ), while editorial changes/explanations to the original are shown in square brackets: [ ].
To locate material on a specific topic consult the alphabetical topical index at the back of the book (pages 399-408). There you will find references to the Decker-Hunt page/line citations, which appear in bold face in the “Detailed and Documented Responses” section.
Cross-references to the “Overview” section use the Roman numerals, which identify its major topics.
