I am just chucking this out there because I am interested in the responses. I have a friend that is reading through the Joseph Smith Papers and has found some "faith shaking" things as he has read through them. His opinion was that the Joseph Smith papers were put out there to "sift the wheat from the chaff" a trial of faith of sorts. That those weak members whose testimony was built upon a foundation of sand would be sifted as the chaff and for the strong members it would only strengthen them. This way only those truly worthy would be able to enter the kingdom.

Thoughts?

Sounds like the self-reassuring mantra of a cultist.

Too few members will actually read any of it - too expensive for one thing. So I doubt that was the motivation.

By what definition of a cult?

Kind of my thinking too. I think they figure the more they put out there the better off they will be in the long run, with the internet spreading so much anyway, its time to face some of the demons of the past.

For my money a cult is when a person or group misrepresents authority, knowledge, finances experience and a standard of righteousness in order to guide, influence or control others to abuse and arrest healthy development and promote greater dependence upon the person or groups and its interests.

It is impossible for the true Christian religion to be a cult as it would serve God and his interest and not their own bringing people unto Christ so that the power of the Holy Ghost would lead and teach the people removing dependence upon men. The question is who is NOT a cult?

Mormons today would not know wheat from chaff holding both in either hand.

Yeah I can see a number of groups and ideologies fitting into the definition.

I have read through most of the first book so far. I have found a few interesting tidbits but nothing that I would consider "faith shaking". You may consider reading it yourself instead of relying on hearsay.

Hmmm, I'm just not willing to spend the dough.

Why pay for it when you can read it online free?
http://josephsmithpapers.org/

Yep.

This conference, falling away from Mormonism is going to be the big selling point.

So says the streets.

What in the Joseph Smith papers does your friend find “faith shaking”? I think we need to establish what would be considered faith shaking and to whom?

I believe the church’s interest in the Joseph Smith papers is an attempt to take control their own history and not leave it up to outsiders.

Acknowledging the real stuff from legend is only faith shaking if you have chained yourself to the legend. That said, it is true that long chain carbon based molecules were created to separate the organic chemists from their analytical brethren.

Too little, too late. Maybe pre-internet, but now... that horse has left the barn. Closing the door now won't help get him back.

I wish they would put them online for free.

They do put them online for free.
http://josephsmithpapers.org/thepapers

Since Joseph Smith was the founder of the religion, and claimed to have written the Book of Mormon, the Smith Papers only prove that it was founded on sand, which moves with the wind and water, never stable.

The horse is out of the barn.

thanks