20/60/20, FAITH model, and podcast with Randy Bell

The early years of Joseph Smith provide another example of the 20/60/20 principle.

We've seen the 20/60/20 principle regarding the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon. 

Conceptually, while 100% of faithful Latter-day Saints (including me) sustain modern Church leaders, about 20% of Latter-day Saints still believe what the prophets have taught about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon, 20% reject what the prophets have taught, and 60% don't know or care. 

We can break it down like this:

Origin.

- 20% still believe what Joseph and Oliver taught about the translation of the plates with the Urim and Thummim that came with the plates. 

- 20% reject what Joseph and Oliver taught in favor of the Royal Skousen/Interpreter view that Joseph and Oliver deliberately misled everyone about the translation because Joseph used SITH (the stone-in-the-hat).

- 60% don't know or care about the issue and can lean either way.  

Setting.

- 20% still believe what Joseph and Oliver taught about the setting of the Book of Mormon with Cumorah/Ramah in New York. 

- 20% reject what Joseph and Oliver taught in favor of the Jack Welch/Scripture Central view that Joseph and Oliver deliberately misled everyone about the setting because Cumorah/Ramah is actually in southern Mexico.

- 60% don't know or care about the issue and can lean either way.  

Regarding young Joseph Smith, it breaks down like this:

Young Joseph Smith.

- 20% believe the Lord prepared Joseph from a young age to become a translator and prophet by allowing the leg infection and surgery that incapacitated him so he could acquire "an intimate acquaintance with those of different denominations" by reading the Bible and the works of Christian authors such as Jonathan Edwards. 

- 20% believe Joseph was an ignorant farm boy who was essentially a blank slate when God appeared to him, when the stone in the hat displayed the words he read out loud, and when he received revelations.

- 60% don't know or care about the issue and can lean either way.   

In all these cases, the Facts are there for everyone to see. People reach different conclusions because of their respective Assumptions, Inferences, and Theories (the FAITH model of analysis).

This principle applies not only to faithful Latter-day Saints, but to those who choose alternatives, including former LDS and never LDS.

Which brings us to the podcast.

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Steve Pynakker (Mormon Book Reviews) does an amazing job bringing people together and hosting a variety of perspectives about the Restoration. He released a new podcast yesterday that I did with Randy Bell titled "Who Influenced Joseph Smith?" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eTcrqXSyhk

Randy is an awesome guy and a careful and candid researcher. I really enjoyed getting to know him off-camera, and I enjoyed our discussion about Joseph Smith's early years.

It's an important topic because we can all benefit by learning more about Joseph Smith. In my view, the Lord prepared Joseph Smith from a young age to become a future translator and prophet. I've discussed this in books and articles linked in the show notes.

As we discussed in the podcast, others can look at the same evidence and reach different conclusions.

I encourage people to pursue the FAITH model of analysis, where we can all agree on the facts and they apply our various assumptions, inferences, and theories to reach the hypotheses (world view) that we embrace. Then we can compare multiple working hypotheses clearly, with charity, as we seek to understand one another.

The pursuit of clarity, charity and understanding replaces contention with courtesy and mutual respect.

Thanks for all you do, Steve! And thanks for the conversation, Randy!