Alma 11:30
1830 Edition
Now Zeezrom saith unto him again: How knowest thou these things?
Changes
Simple English
Zeezrom asked him again: 'How do you know these things?'
Paraphrase
Zeezrom pressed him: 'How do you know these things?'
Notes
The Book of Mormon declares that there is only one Eternal God (see also 2 Nephi 31:21), yet the Doctrine and Covenants teaches there are many gods (D&C 121:32; 132:18-20,37). As does Abraham 4:1 in the Pearl of Great Price.
In June 16, 1844, Joseph Smith gave a public doctrinal address, usually labeled the "Sermon in the Grove." He is recorded as saying, "I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always, and in all congregations, when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years.
The sermon survives through the notes of four contemporaneous recorders: Thomas Bullock, William McIntire, George Laub, and Alexander Neibaur.
It was later printed in History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 6, pp. 473–479, and in The Words of Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook.