Read 7th visit Text messages since our last meeting Me: Nice chatting with you yesterday! Me: I have just sent a copy of one of your images to an Egyptologist named Joann Fletcher, who works in the archaeology department at the university of York. Do you remember you said you would be willing to consider the possibility that the Book of Mormon was invented by Joseph Smith? What do you think the implications might be if his translations turn out […]

Read 6th visit Text messages since last visit: Me: Hi guys. Are you going to drop in this Egyptian stuff for me? Just thought, I can meet you and photograph it, that would take no time/effort at all. (June 24th) (No reply) My Mormon friends didn’t turn up last Monday, it seems our weekly meetings may have come to an end. However, they turned up out of the blue tonight (June 25th). They apologised for turning up without arranging it […]

Read 5th visit Text messages since our last visit. Me: Hi guys. I’ve been preparing for a debate on Islam/tolerance so not had time to read more of your book since we last met. Are we meeting tonight? I’m sorry I hurt your feelings last week. Them: Hi Peter. We have a landlord inspection later tonight and our rooms are less than tidy. If we do get time then it won’t be for as long as usual. (They didn’t turn […]

Read 4th visit A log of exchanges between our 4th and 5th meetings. Me: Hi guys. Was nice to see you both again! I had a thought about something you said. It was that your church is monogamous but there were reasons for ancient prophets for having multiple wives. Does this include Joseph Smith or was he monogamous? Them: There was a time in modern church history where polygamy was practiced. Starting while Joseph Smith was alive and finishing in […]

Read 3rd visit During the week I had sent my Mormon proselytiser a text message letting them know how far I had read (I am about 25% way through now) and they were overjoyed. I mentioned that I was trying to find a verse in the 2013 edition of the book but was unable to because the chapter numbers have changed, what I see in chapter 4 in the 1830’s edition might be in chapter 8 in the 2013 edition. […]

Read 2nd visit My friends turned up today, we started with a really nice talk about how one of them used to love sailing a remote control boat when he was young, and how I had one of those water jet-pack experiences. I asked them about a couple of things that had occurred to me while reading the Book of Mormon. One of them was that it says the plates (the brass ones, not the later golden ones given to […]

Read 1st visit Because I am back-posting these first two visits from memory they might be a bit short. I call them my Mormon friends not to be facetious, but because I think we really did become friends very quickly during our first meeting. These guys are so nice, and we just chatter and giggle through our meetings. From what I recall of our second meeting they asked if I would be willing to become a Mormon if I decided […]

A few weeks ago I spotted a couple of young guys riding bikes. They were wearing cycling helmets, black trousers, and white shirts with ties. I knew instantly that they were Mormons. I’ve little or no knowledge of Mormonism so I thought it might be a good opportunity to learn. I stopped the car and introduced myself. I told them in advance that it is very unlikely I will become a Mormon, and that I am just interested in what […]