MY LAST COMMENT ABOUT A CHURCH
I have wrote many articles and have read many things regarding the LDS church.
Some good and mostly some bad things. The last book that I read is titled “Quest
for the Gold Plates”. I am just going to use some words written in the book and
this will be the end of my quest to discredit the validity of the claims of the LDS
church. I have decided to take a positive stand and start to make faith promoting
statements about things that I am still learning and teachings that I am being
currently taught. Somebody once told me that what matters most in life is the
relationship that we can have with our creator. Whatever means we can use to
accomplish that is worth pursuing. Whether that be to be a member of any
church or not. It is what you practice and not what you hear that matters most in
life. May each and every one of us find what they are looking for in this life, this is
my prayer.
Thomas Stuart Ferguson spent about 50 years of his life on his exploratory
journeys to Mexico and Guatemala in search of the archaeological remains of
Book of Mormon peoples. He established the prestigious New World
Archaeological Foundation to excavate in Mesoamerica, assisted through the
generous funding provided by the LDS Church. At first the first presidency was
reluctant to provide any funds but with the help of J. W. Marriott eventually they
did. We will learn later on why they were hesitant. He was convinced that these
scientific excavations would bring forth startling archaeological confirmation of
the Book of Mormon. His faith was sorely tested, for the evidence was not
forthcoming. Also, he was deeply disturbed by the discovery and translation of
the Joseph Smith Egyptian papyri, since these ancient documents were shown to
have nothing to do with either the Book of Abraham or the little-known Book of
Joseph. He became what is known as a closet doubter.
He was convinced that confirmation of the physical reality of the Book of Mormon
civilization would be forthcoming through archaeological discovery. He expressed
to the First Presidency his fervent beliefs and the unique position of the Book of
Mormon as a historical document subject to scientific verification. He also
believed that Joseph Smith was the first prophet, and the only prophet, to reveal
the lost and forgotten history of ancient cities of stone. He stated to the First
Presidency that the Book of Mormon is either fake or fact. If fake, the cities
described in it are non-existent. If fact-as we know it to be-the cities will be there.
Sorry to say the cities were not found. He conducted many tests to prove that
what the Book of Mormon stated was true, but they showed the opposite. The
plant-life test showed no evidence of barley, figs, grapes, or wheat. The animallife test also showed no evidence of ass, bull, calf, cattle, cow, goat, horse, ox,
sheep, sow, or elephants. The metallurgy test showed no evidence of bellows,
brass, breast-plates, chains, copper, gold, iron, ore, plow-shares, silver, swords,
hilts, engraving, and steel. The script test showed no evidence of cuneiform,
Hebrew, or Egyptian. There were also no wheels, carriages, carts, chariots, or
glass.
Ferguson’s quest did not follow a straight course. He lived his life as a dedicated
Latter-day Saint, expecting with the certainty of the true believer that he would
find archaeological proof of the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
However, the physical evidence he looked so diligently for did not come forth. In
the end, he was theologically shipwrecked less by the failure to find persuasive
archaeological support for the Book of Mormon than by his encounter with
independent translations of the Joseph Smith Egyptian papyri. Though his ship ran
aground, it did not sink, and he managed to salvage what he felt were its
essentials. He died a wise and tolerant person, understanding the importance of
myth in human affairs….he understood and appreciated the good qualities of the
LDS Church and its community of believers. Throughout the last thirteen years of
his life he was a broad-minded humanist. In the most-recent letter to have been
discovered, he explained his position: “Now that my eyes have been opened…., I
see more clearly into many other conflicts and problems the Prophet(Joseph
Smith) had, and have conviction that he was a phony with lots of meritorious
ideas. I have decided not to attack him openly-in my opinion, now, all religions are
man-made, and most of them do more good than harm-so let them be.”
If one were a satisfied, active Mormon, Ferguson would not want that person to
change. If one decided that the Book of Mormon was composed by Joseph Smith,
he counseled him/her to stay in the LDS Church and keep quiet, in order to enjoy
the benefits of being a member. If one could not follow this path but felt the need
to leave the LDS Church, he encouraged that person to do so. If one were happy
as an orthodox Christian, his advice was, stay that way. The bottom line of
Ferguson’s position was that whatever works for a person and gives meaning to
life was, by definition, good for that person.
When I wrote “my thoughts” I personally agreed with him not knowing who this
person was at that time.
One may feel that Ferguson’s ideas are completely mistaken, or one may feel that
his reconciliation of the conflict between faith and reason is a worthwhile
solution. Given Ferguson’s own disillusionment, one must give him credit for
having resolved the dilemma to his personal satisfaction, for he was at peace with
himself and often spoke of the need to consider the Big Picture. He continued his
church activity and he justified his sometimes waffling behavior on various social
and cultural grounds. He saw many beneficial things in the religions of mankind,
and Mormonism was to him the most useful-but no ultimately true. Though
Ferguson doubted that Joseph Smith could translate Egyptian texts, though he
repudiated the antiquity of the Book of Abraham, though he rejected the
authenticity of the Book of Mormon, though he questioned that Joseph Smith or
anyone else was a true prophet of God-still he considered the LDS Church to be
wonderful fraternity, valued church activity and fellowship, sang in his ward choir,
appreciated the moral principles of the Book or Mormon, developed a more
tolerant attitude about the opinions of other, felt that religion served a genuine
need in human life, found relaxation in working in the garden, and enjoyed life
immensely. In fact Thomas Stuart Ferguson was playing tennis when a massive
heart attack brought immediate death at the age of sixty-seven. His legacy is a
commitment to the search for TRUTH and that set him free.
If anybody would be interested in reading this book, I have it.