Nearly every book in the Old and New Testaments are pseudepigrapha - and often written hundreds of years after the supposed author lived. The nature and origin of most scriptures are lost to time and history.

Pseudepigrapha are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed author is not the true author, or a work whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past.[1] Some of these works may have originated among Jewish Hellenizers, others may have Christian authorship in character and origin.

The omnipotence paradox refers to the apparently paradoxical ability of an omnipotent entity to both limit its powers and remain omnipotent.

The paradox is used both as an argument against an omnipotent God and against the concept of true omnipotence.

The omnipotence paradox is a family of paradoxes that arise with some understandings of the term omnipotent. The paradox arises, for example, if one assumes that an omnipotent being has no limits and is capable of realizing any outcome, even logically contradictory one such as creating a square circle.

See also The Problem of Evil.

The word Pentateuch means the “First Five Books” of the Old Testament. In the Hebrew scriptures there are two accounts of creation, for example - offering different and contradictory narratives of what happened and why.

Learn more about the P & J forms which offer different accounts of the earliest known Hebraic scriptures.

The internal consistency of the Bible concerns the coherence and textual integrity of the Bible. Disputes regarding biblical consistency have a long history.

The problem of evil is the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God. The best-known presentation is attributed to the Greek philosopher Epicurus by David Hume, who was responsible for popularizing it.

In summary:

• If God is supremely good, then he has the desire to eliminate evil.

• If God is omnipotent, then he is able to eliminate evil.

• If God is omniscient, then he knows that evil exists and knows how to eliminate it.

• Therefore, if God exists, and is supremely good, omnipotent, and omniscient, then evil does not exist.

• Evil exists.

• Therefore, a supremely good, omnipotent, and omniscient God does not exist.

The mere existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of God.

The following claims cannot all be true:

• God is supremely good

• God is omnipotent

• God is omniscient

• Evil exists

Here’s a useful infographic that breaks down the problem of evil through a few lenses.

Cultures around the world tell stories about a great flood.[16] In many cases, the flood leaves only one survivor or group of survivors. For example, both the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Bible tell of a global flood that wiped out humanity and of a man Noah who saved the Earth's species by taking them aboard a boat.[17] Similar stories of a single flood survivor appear in Hindu mythology where Manu saves the Earth from the deluge by building an ark[18] as well as Greek, Norse mythology and Aztec mythology.[19]

A worldwide deluge, such as the one described in Genesis, is incompatible with modern scientific understanding of natural history, especially geology and paleontology.

The flood-myth motif occurs in many cultures as seen in:

• Mesopotamian flood stories

• Pralaya in Hinduism

• Gun-Yu in Chinese mythology

• Deucalion and Pyrrha in Greek mythology

• Genesis flood narrative

• Bergelmir in Norse mythology

• Cessair in Irish mythology

• Polynesia such as Hawaii the lore of the K'iche'

• Maya peoples in Mesoamerica

• Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa tribe of Native Americans in North America

• Muisca and Cañari Confederation in South America

• Africa

• Aboriginal tribes in Australia

An important question to ask yourself is how the mark of Cain survived the flood if only Noah and his family survived.

The modern scholarly consensus is that the figure of Moses is a mythical figure,[12] and while, as William G. Dever writes, "a Moses-like figure may have existed somewhere in the southern Transjordan in the mid-late 13th century B.C.", archaeology cannot confirm his existence.[14]

No references to Moses appear in any Egyptian sources prior to the fourth century BCE, long after he is believed to have lived. Certainly no contemporary Egyptian sources mention Moses or the events of Exodus–Deuteronomy, nor has any archaeological evidence been discovered in Egypt or the Sinai wilderness to support the story in which he is the central figure.[41] The story of his discovery picks up a familiar motif in ancient Near Eastern mythological accounts of the ruler who rises from humble origins.

No archaeological, scholarly verified evidence has been found that confirms the crossing of the Red Sea ever took place. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and formerly Egypt's Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, reflected scholarly consensus when he said of the Exodus story, which is the biblical account of the Israelites’ flight from Egypt and subsequent 40 years of wandering the desert in search of the Promised Land: "Really, it’s a myth... Sometimes as archaeologists we have to say that never happened because there is no historical evidence."[17]

Tradition attributes the whole of the Pentateuch to Moses; however, in the late 19th century, the documentary hypothesis was proposed by Julius Wellhausen.[13] This hypothesis proposes four sources: J, E, P and D. Of these hypothetical sources, proponents suggest that this narrative comes from the J or Yahwist source. The etiological nature of the narrative is considered typical of J. In addition, the intentional word play regarding the city of Babel, and the noise of the people's "babbling" is found in the Hebrew words as easily as in English, and is considered typical of the Yahwist source.[10]:51

The origin story of humankind dates far earlier than the Judeo-Christian most Westerners are familiar with.

Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions,[1][2] were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors.[3]

They also provide the basis for the doctrines of the fall of man and original sin that are important beliefs in Christianity, although not held in Judaism or Islam

While a traditional view was that the Book of Genesis was authored by Moses and has been considered historical and metaphorical, modern scholars consider the Genesis creation narrative as one of various ancient origin myths.[54][55]

Analysis like the documentary hypothesis also suggests that the text is a result of the compilation of multiple previous traditions, explaining apparent contradictions.[56][57] Other stories of the same canonical book, like the Genesis flood narrative, are also understood as having been influenced by older literature, with parallels in the older Epic of Gilgamesh.

• Judaism

• Christianity

• Gnostic Traditions

• Islam

• Baháʼí Faith

The story of the fall of Adam is often considered to be an allegory. Findings in population genetics, particularly those concerning Y-chromosomal Adam and Mitochondrial Eve, indicate that a single first "Adam and Eve" pair of human beings never existed.

They also provide the basis for the doctrines of the fall of man and original sin that are important beliefs in Christianity, although not held in Judaism or Islam

The consensus of mainstream Biblical scholars holds that the contents of the Book of Jonah are entirely ahistorical.[85][86][3] Although the prophet Jonah allegedly lived in the eighth century BCE,[1] the Book of Jonah was written centuries later during the time of the Achaemenid Empire.[1][87] The Hebrew used in the Book of Jonah shows strong influences from Aramaic[1] and the cultural practices described in it match those of the Achaemenid Persians.[1][21] Many scholars regard the Book of Jonah as an intentional work of parody or satire.[4][5][88][89][90][91] If this is the case, then it was probably admitted into the canon of the Hebrew Bible by sages who misunderstood its satirical nature[92][90][91] and mistakenly interpreted it as a serious prophetic work.[92][90][91]

Although the word "whale" is often used in English versions of the Jonah story, the Hebrew text actually uses the phrase dag gadol, which means "giant fish". In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the species of the fish that swallowed Jonah was the subject of speculation for naturalists, who interpreted the story as an account of a historical incident. Some modern scholars of folklore have noted similarities between Jonah and other legendary figures, specifically Gilgamesh and the Greek hero Jason.

A creation myth (or creation story) is a cultural, religious or traditional myth which describes the earliest beginnings of the present world. Creation myths are the most common form of myth, usually developing first in oral traditions, and are found throughout human culture.

A creation myth is usually regarded by those who subscribe to it as conveying profound truths, though not necessarily in a historical or literal sense. They are commonly, though not always, considered cosmogonical myths, that is, they describe the ordering of the cosmos from a state of chaos or amorphousness.

The generally accepted narrative is that the book of Mormon was made of Gold. Further, Joseph explained Moroni was concerned Joseph would use the plates for Financial gain.

The weight of gold is about 17 lbs a cubic foot of it would weigh 17 times the 62 pounds that a cubic foot of water weighs- or about 1054 pounds. Half a cubic foot would weigh more than 500 pounds, more than most grand pianos. A Weight impossible to carry.(SOURCE)

Consider, also, that because gold is soft and pliable, the weight of the book would compress and deform the lower pages. The weight of the first half of the book would be enough to make the second half of the book illegible.

The sealed portion of the Book of Mormon contained the writing of the brother of Jared regarding the last days. This text would have been longer than almost the entire King James Bible and yet only written by one Author.(SOURCE)

Both Elias and Elijah also are reported to have appeared as two separate beings in the Kirtland temple (D&C 110:12, 13):

"12 After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.
13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:
14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi--..." [emphasis added]

However, Elias and Elijah are the same person. Elijah is the Hebrew name of Elias (Greek). But Joseph thought they were two different people and thus referred to them as such. Richard Packham explains in detail the problem of Elias and Elijah as used by Joseph Smith.

Read more here.

The Hebrew origins of the Book of Mormon and it’s associated peoples have been greatly challenged by DNA samples - all of which point to Asian ancestry. What’s more, as numerous as the Nephite, Laminite, Jaradite, and other civilizations were portrayed in the Book of Mormon, there’s not even the slightest hint of middle-eastern or Hebraic culture in Mesoamerica.

Linguists also rebuff the claims of reformed Egyptian and the length of time it takes for any sophisticated language to evolve.

FAITHFUL RESPONSE

There is a lot we don’t know about the inhabitants of the ancient Americans. Clearly, something happened on a grand scale.

CRITICAL RESPONSE

Among many things, there wasn’t time on the human timescale for reformed Egyptian to both develop and disappear according to the scriptural narrative.

If men and women are punished for their own sins, not Adam’s transgression (Second Article of Faith), why were black people punished for Cain’s, and the native American and pacific islanders for the sins of the Laminates?

While a Savior myth has existed long before Christianity, and is shared in virtually all mythologies, it is curious that the Book of Mormon is the only pre-Christian text to use the world Jesus Christ, baptize by immersion, and many other Christian practices.