63: CES Letter vs. The Book of Mormon

63: CES Letter vs. The Book of Mormon

From LDS Discussions - Mormon Truth Claims Examined by Mormon Stories Podcast

June 26, 2025 · 2h 6m

About this episode

This episode analyzes the CES Letter and the Book of Mormon, exploring critical questions and apologetic responses.

In this episode, we dive deep into the attacks on the CES Letter and its author, Jeremy Runnells, unpacking why apologetic responses—no matter how weak—are often accepted by believing members. This is the first in a multi-part series analyzing the LDS Discussions CES Letter project. We tackle critical questions about the Book of Mormon, including: Why does it contain errors from the 1769 King James Bible? What about the italicized words from the KJV showing up in the text? Why doesn’t the Book of Mormon match Joseph Smith’s own translation of the Bible? What does DNA evidence say about the Book of Mormon narrative? And how do apologists handle the serious anachronisms in the text? Along the way, we explore FAIR Mormon’s increasingly irrelevant defenses, the hidden Gospel Topics Essays, and shifting church narratives. This is an essential deep-dive for anyone curious about Mormonism’s truth claims, historical issues, and the apologetics surrounding them. Join the conversation and subscribe for future episodes in this CES Letter series. Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or…

Topics covered

  • CES Letter
  • Book of Mormon
  • Mormonism
  • apologetics
  • historical issues
  • truth claims

Keywords

  • CES Letter
  • Book of Mormon
  • apologetics
  • DNA evidence
  • anachronisms
  • Gospel Topics Essays
  • Mormonism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FAIR Mormon, Gospel Topics Essays

Books & works: CES Letter, Book of Mormon

Places: Salt Lake City, UT

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