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Originally Posted by chriscb
How old was Joseph Smith Jr. when he "figured that out"? Joseph Smith was 24 years old when the Book of Mormon was first published. I don't think he even touched on the subject of a plurality of gods until March 20, 1839 (the early Nauvoo, Illinois period). So, I'm curious to know why you would mis-characterize JS as "a young farm boy" when clearly this is not the case.
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I mean that the information was not available to Joseph Smith, and that he was basically uneducated for much of his life.
Meanwhile, scholars with big degrees have been studying the Bible and Ancient Near East for centuries, but only in the last few decades have they, as a group, begun to learn that Joseph was right on this one.
As for the question of plurality of gods and Isaiah 43:10, this is Yahweh (son of Elohim, who was given Israel as his kingdom to rule) telling us that he is the first and last ruler of Israel. Next door in Canaan, their god fell and was replaced by Baal.
Isaiah 43:
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1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
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10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14 ¶ Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships
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We have here Yahweh speaking to the people of Israel, and no one else. He references other nations that have competing gods that are falling. He even explains that he has overcome the gods of Babylon and the Chaldeans. He is stating that he is stronger than them all, while those gods have been known to fall (as mentioned above).
Context is extremely important in understanding the Bible. It is too easy to take a verse out of context, ignoring the real meaning of the scripture.