Problems for parents-Kelli Coughanour

 

The other day I was at an LDS Distribution center and I looked at their top-selling books. #3 was a book titled The Book of Mormon for Young Readers Journal, by Kelli Coughanour.

Look at the cover.

See the massive pyramids at the bottom?

These images are being imprinted on the minds of young LDS from the earliest age.

Thanks to neuroplasticity, these images will stick with these children throughout their lives. They will find it very difficult to change their thinking about the Book of Mormon.

As one of the M2C intellectuals has said, he "can't unsee" Mesoamerica when he reads the Book of Mormon.

Then, when these same youth discover what the prophets have actually taught about the New York Cumorah, they will experience deep cognitive dissonance.

Many of them, maybe most, will conclude that if the prophets were wrong about the New York Cumorah, how can we trust them about anything?

It's difficult to think of anything more destructive to faith in the Book of Mormon than to have M2C intellectuals teaching the youth that the prophets are wrong-except it's also pretty destructive to faith when the youth realize that Mesoamerica has nothing to do with the Book of Mormon, despite what they've been taught their entire lives.

This M2C artwork is not an aberration. Sister Coughanour used this same illustration in her Book of Mormon for Young Readers.

Here is the book description:

Product Description

Finally! The scriptures are presented in an abridged format designed just for young readers. Perfect for personal and family scripture study!

Would you love for your children and grandchildren to get more out of reading the scriptures? The Book of Mormon for Young Readers presents key scripture stories in an abridged, creative, and engaging format designed to make it easy for children to understand and love the scriptures! Young readers (ages 7-12) can enjoy the scriptures on their own and establish a habit of personal scripture study, which will strengthen their faith and their resolve to live the gospel. Special features help families to see how the scriptures apply to their lives today. These fifty-two exciting chapters make it clear that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer and that happiness comes from obedience to His teachings. You'll be amazed at how much easier scripture study is for your children!

Special features include over 90 full-color paintings, maps, timelines, hard word definitions, suggestions for applying scripture principles, quotes from prophets, and more! *This is an abridged version of The Book of Mormon.

This could have been an awesome resource for parents to use in teaching their children about the Book of Mormon, but the book repudiates the prophets throughout.

 Any young person who learns the Book of Mormon by using Sister Coughanour's books is going to have a major faith challenge when he/she eventually learns what the prophets have taught about Cumorah in New York.

These books teach that the prophets were wrong and that the Book of Mormon took place in Mesoamerica, an area that has exactly zero to do with the Book of Mormon.

I can't tell whether these books or the abstract maps used by CES/BYU are worse, but why should there be any competition on the best way to destroy faith?

I'm sure Sister Coughanour has the best of intentions. She has relied on the M2C intellectuals and their followers, who have been teaching M2C for several decades now.

But nevertheless, the damage is being done.


The results will be evident as these youth grow up and learn the truth.