Question I have about the Book of Mormon

My grandfather on my mother's side was a dedicated Mormon. This is part of heritage and roots.

In my own search of faith I had to consider how valid this American originated religion might be. In reading his Book of Mormon, I was taken back by how many exact quotes from the King James translation of the scriptures there were. I counted some 1700 and then I gave up counting.

The question raised by this for me is that language, as in a culture, is a living,constantly changing and evolving living thing. The King James Bible was translated in 1611 AD. It had as its source the Bishops and several other earlier translations. But the scholars who did the translation did not have the manuscripts we do now, nor did they know the correct meaning of the everyday street Greek words used in the writing of the New Testament.

The New Testament was written in the language of the people, language commonly in daily use. It is not classical Greek, which is well known and documented. The King James translators knew only classical Greek. The breakthrough came in a discovery in Egypt of letters, bills of sale, business documents, written in the language of the day. These discovered documents had been used to stuff mummified animals as a way to save costs. This was the open door to understanding what words used commonly and gives us today a much better and truer translation of the New Testament.

Language use changes with time. My problem is that use of these exact quotes out of the King James Bible means the book of Mormon was written at or later than the King James, but it speaks of being written in a period some 1500 years earlier. Conclusion: The King James Bible was used as a source in the writing of the book of Mormon giving it a much later date of origin.

As I grew in my faith I then had a massive conflict with the mantra they use: "As we are, God once was, as God is, we shall become". A concept no where in the Christian faith. This would lead to there being many gods. Christian faith has as its premise that there is only one God. "Hear O Israel, the Lord Thy God is One"

Wanting to be as "a god" was Satan's downfall.

I am sure I never was, will be or want to be a "god". Growing into being a God is not a tenet of the Christian faith. I can seek to be like Jesus, but I do not become Jesus.

I believe I am a child of God, but will not ever be God. I believe that the teaching of the Bible is that there is no marriage or giving in marriage in heaven,(as there is no male or female) and the Mormons not only believe in marriage in heaven, but are committed to marriage for eternity.

Baptism for the dead is a pagan practice not found in any part of the Bible.

The revelation that is most meaningful to me is that Christianity is the only faith that says in order to receive it, all you have to do is to accept it.

It is free, and there is nothing we can do to earn it, buy it, or do to deserve it, except to receive it freely, and all of it is ours. This is Grace, unmerited favor, and not a product of my good works.

In it we know that we are loved, forgiven, and blessed with the riches of our heavenly Father. Because I have been forgiven, I can forgive, love, and rejoice.

I do not have to keep kosher, built merit by attending mass, tap into the treasure of merits of the saints, or do I tithe to be worthy to enter the temple, pray facing a stone in Mecca, or be baptized in the name of someone who has died.

I took my first steps of being a devotee of Jesus, and He it is I choose to follow, not Joseph Smith.

At this point I had to keep looking for a faith that was in keeping with the Jesus I have met shown to me in the Gospels.