James Rietdijk is a former Baptist who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints five years ago. He just came out with this video where he comes out as a follower of Christopher Nemelka and his purported translation of the "sealed portion" of the golden plates:
The following is the comment I left on this video on youtube:
The following is the comment I left on this video on youtube:
James,
The first question is *which* purported translation of the "sealed portion" should one accept? There exists a number of purported translations thereof, not just the one you are touting--on what meaningful basis should one accept *that* translation? Your "logic" in the video is the following:
The Book of Mormon speaks of a sealed portion
Person "x" claims to have translated the sealed portion
This purported translation of the sealed portion must be true
Such is fallacious, and hardly one to place one's eternal soul in. Using that approach, you cannot really answer the claims of James Jesse Strang, for instance or others who claim, both pre- and post-Nemelka, to have translated the “sealed portion” of the plates.
Furthermore, do you agree with 1 Tim 3:15? Then why undermine the authority of the Church in claiming God will give a special revelation (translation of the sealed portion) to a renegade heretic than the president of the Church? This is representative of the poor ecclesiology of such groups. Trying to parallel Nemelka with Joseph Smith is fallacious; for instance, you claim JS, like Nemelka, had to separate himself from the Church and other churches—false comparison. There was no true church during the time of Joseph Smith; there is now (D&C 1:30; cf. D&C 65:2; 138:44 which applies Dan 2 to the LDS Church). Indeed, your ecclesiology is, to be blunt, lousy—you try to downplay the importance of modern prophets in favour of what is basically a “me and the Holy Spirit”-type ecclesiology, similar to “non-denominational denominations” (e.g., Calvary Chapel) within the Protestantism I am sure you were influenced, at least in part, in your days as a Protestant.
Additionally, can you answer the genuine internal inconsistencies between the text of the Book of Mormon and this purported translation? I am sure you have see, for instance, this page:
You will be in my prayers. You are playing Russian roulette with your soul (cf. Heb 6:4-9; 10:26-29; D&C 76:30-45, etc)
Robert Boylan
Scriputralmormonism.blogspot.com